Returning to Arundel
by Shastafire
Summary: 2 years after Arundel and 1 year after Maine, the Penderwicks receive an invitation from Jeffrey to spend 3 weeks in the summer at Arundel Hall! But when they arrive, they are shocked to find that they aren't the only ones Jeffrey invited...
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! I'm a huge reader sooo expect alot of different stuff from me! ****This is my first published fan fic and i've always been a huge fan of the Penderwicks and thought ya'll would enjoy this! Sorry if it starts out slow...this is just the base and the beginning! It gets better so just hang with me. I will try to upload as soon as i can and i hope to continue this story and start a few others! :)**

**Skye: HOLY BANANAS! Did you write the Penderwick series?**

**Me: Pshh yeah i did. *Skye give a yeah right look* ok, fine, i didnt. all the credits go to Jeanne Birdsall. **

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They had been on this road before. That is, Rosalind, Skye, Jane, Batty, Hound, and Mr. P had. The car's new occupants were a red-haired, intelligent-looking, gentle-handed woman and a crying, brown-haired toddler. The last time most of the journeyers had been on this road was two years ago; and though the girls were still very much like they were two years previous, time and experience had brought slight change upon them still: a stepmother and brother, a first love, a cat, inspiration for stories, a new soccer ball (Jane had kicked yet another one onto the Geiger's roof.), a passion (and a hate) for the stage, and a new car—for it is impossible to fit four girls, two adults, a toddler, and a dog into a single Jeep.

"Batty, get OFF me!" came Skye's muffled protest from the very back of the car. She had been the unlucky winner of the seat between Batty's car seat and Ben's, and Batty was trying to lean across Skye to show Ben that she could count her new stuffed giraffe's spots.

"Look, Ben! I can count! See, there's one spot, there's another, three, four—" said Batty.

"OFF, I say!" Skype repeated, pushing Batty off of her.

"Shhh. Skye! You'll wake up Ben!" Rosalind scolded from the second row. Too late. Ben had already started to wail. Rosalind sighed. Oh, well, it was bound to happen soon with all this ruckus and commotion. Three hours in car does not produce calm.

Next to Rosalind, Jane was chewing on the end of her pen and was glaring at her precious blue notebook in frustration. "I can't hear myself think with all this noise, much less come up with something for Sabrina Star to save!"

Skye scowled. She had dealt all day with these stupid little kids, and she was being pushed beyond her limits. "Then maybe _you _should've taken the backseat, Jane. Obviously you know how to deal with all this better than I do—"

"Skye. Jane. _Pax_," their father said from the driver's seat. "Now, Iantha, what street am I looking for?"

Iantha turned the map back right-side-up and scanned over it with her eyes. "I believe it's called Framley Boulevard."

"Ah, yes, of course," Mr. P nodded. His glasses slid another half-inch down his nose.

Two weeks earlier, the Penderwick family had been invited to a three week vacation at Arundel Hall by their dear friend Jeffrey, much to his mother, Ms. Tifton's (now Mrs. Dupree) reluctance. The girls were extremely excited, and the tension of being so close was keeping them on edge. They hadn't been to Arundel in two years, and, despite unfortunate events, missed it.

Suddenly, Batty, bouncing up and down, screeched, "We're here!"

And they were. There was Jeffrey, jumping and waving his arms, as they drove up the twisted driveway lined with fancy flowers and carefully manicured lawns. Four girls tumbled out of the car and attacked him gleefully.

"Oh, Jeffrey, it's so good to see you!" Jane exclaimed while hugging him, until she was pushed aside by Skye, who tackled him and they fell onto the lawn laughing.

"Jeffrey Alec Tifton, we haven't seen you in months!" Skye said, aiming a punch at him. He rolled and stood up, slamming his camo cap back onto his messy brown hair.

"Sorry. I've been busy," Jeffrey grinned. "Besides, it wasn't like I missed you or anything."

He was knocked again to the ground by Skye, but without compassion this time. Rosalind, tears of joy streaming down her face, helped him up, hugged him fiercely, and brushed the hair away from his forehead, but frowned when she spotted a large, black and blue welt.

"What on earth happened to you?" Rosalind asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Jane said, eyes wide. "That looks worse than the bonk Skye first gave you in the tunnel."

"It's nothing," Jeffrey said, hastily brushing his hair back in place.

"Jeffrey! Oh, I love you so. Did you miss me?" Batty exclaimed, hugging his legs. She had remembered to go back to get Giraffe before Ben drooled on him and had just now returned to the group.

Jeffrey laughed and swung her around. "Of course I've missed you, Battykins! Have you been practicing your piano?"

"Oh, yes! Daddy's been paying for lessons from a real piano teacher and she says I'm going to play in a recite on—"

"Recital," Rosalind corrected gently.

"Recital," Batty said. "And she wants me to—"

"Oh, recital, shmital. Who gave you that bruise, Jeffrey? Was it Dexter? Because if it was, I'll pummel his nose in," said Skye.

"What? No, no it wasn't Dexter. I just—it was—"

"Them," Jane finished solemnly, and pointed to the opening oak doors of Arundel Hall.

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**Uploading next chapter as soon as I'm done with this!**

**Questions? Comments? Corrections? Advice? I appreciate all.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Here it is! As promised! Sorry that it is still a little slow but it's going to get really interesting in the next few chapters so bear with me! Sorry for some cheesy stuff and I hope this surprises you! Apologies for any typing or spelling errors! Also if I ramble. **

**No. I, sadly, do not own the Penderwicks. or Hound.**

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"Who are they?" Skye blurted incredulously.

"Those are some of my . . . .friends," Jeffrey said carefully.

"Friends?" Skye spluttered.

"Are you okay, Skye?" Jeffrey reached out as if to take her temperature. She swatted his hand away.

"Fine," she spat.

"But, Jeffrey," Jane said quizzically, "You didn't say anything about other kids."

"It was a last-minute thing, I swear," Jeffrey said, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "They'll be staying up at Arundel for a while, instead of going back to school for the rest of the holidays. You don't mind, do you?" His eyes begged for their approval.

"No, of course we don't mind, do we?" Rosalind said, putting a hand on Batty's shoulder, who was still hugging Jeffrey.

But Skye was too busy staring down the five kids approaching and Jane was too busy analyzing them as a possibility for a new story involving Sabrina Starr began to take shape in her mind.

The girl in the lead was tall with straight caramel hair and sunglasses pushed up onto her head. Next to her was a shorter, smiling, athletic-looking Latina girl with tan skin and curly black hair. The two boys behind her were identical and sisters would not have been be able to tell them apart if it were not for the fact that one had golden hair and was wearing a Taco shirt whilst the other had brown hair. Straggling behind them was a smiling scrawny Asian boy with glasses.

"Jeffrey, who is this?" the Latina girl with the warm brown eyes asked as she approached.

"We're friends of Jeffrey's," Skye snapped and tugged Jeffrey to her side.

"Skye," Jeffrey said, giving her a pointed look as he dislodged her from his arm, "meet Monique, Darcy, Scott, Kade, and Harold. Guys, meet the Penderwick family."

The girl with caramel hair, Darcy, eyed them and said, "But, Jeffs, you never said they were _girls_."

_Jeffs? _Skye felt ready to puke.

Rosalind, always OAP (especially of surprised sisters) stepped forward and said. "I'm Rosalind, the oldest. This is Skye"—who, despite every other emotion raging inside of her, promptly did her traditional point-to-eyes-point-to-sky—"Jane, and this is. . . .Oh, Batty, come out from behind Jeffrey."

Batty blinked shyly at the strangers. Jeffrey lifted her onto his shoulders, grinning, his eyes kind.

"And in the car—see the man waving?—That's my father, and that's my stepmom, Iantha. Oh, and that's Baby Ben in the back," said Rosalind.

Monique smiled at Ben and waved. The sisters could see Ben giggle and bang on the window, which was Ben-language that he liked this girl. The sisters later decided that they like her too.

Tacoshirt, now known as Kade, asked, "So you're going to be here with us for three weeks?"

Skye snarled, "With. Us?"

Jane hastily tried to cover up. "Sorry. My dear sister is a little. . . .protective." She took Skye's arm.

"Dear sister?" Skye yanked her arm out of Jane's grasp. She turned to Kade. "And, if I'm right, we've know Jeffrey longer then you have so _you_ will actually be staying here with _us_."

"Steady," Rosalind whispered.

The girl with the caramel hair, Darcy, raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Skye. "How would you know?"

"You've gone to school with him for the past two years. We've known him for two and a half," said Skye.

Scott, twin of Tacoshirt, cocked his head. "How do you know what school we go to?"

"Did Jeffrey tell you about us?" Darcy asked eagerly.

Skye pointed to the logo on Darcy's shirt advertising "Wellborn-Hughes's VPAD presents: The Nutcracker."

Darcy flushed at the obviousness.

Jeffrey laughed nervously. "Ok. Um, Rosalind, the key to the cottage is where it's always been and there's a crib like Iantha asked in the study. Cagney wants to come by and say hi to you, by the way"—Rosalind brightened at that—"Oh, and Batty, Churchie left gingerbread on the counter."

Batty cheered and Jeffrey lowered her onto the grass.

"We'd better go," Rosalind said as she took Batty's hand. "Daddy'll be waiting for us in the car."

"Car's gone," Jane stated.

"We'll walk then," Rosalind said confidently. "It's such a pretty day."

Sky finally turned away from a glaring match with Darcy.

"I'll come by a little later," Jeffrey said, attempting brightness.

Skye grumbled, "Yeah. See you later."

Head down, she trudged off, forcing her sisters to follow in suit.

-..-..-..-..-

"I don't want to have to share Jeffrey," Barry complained as they walked the way they still knew by heart to the butter-yellow cottage.

Rosalind sighed, "We won't have to share Jeffrey, sweetie."

"Oh yes we will," Skye protested.

"But maybe it'll be fun," mused Jane.

Skye stared at her sister in disbelief. "Oh no it won't!"

"How would you know? You took one look and decided to hate the lot of them!"

"Did not! I just—don't like that Darcy girl. She's stuck-up, proud, a smart-alec, and pretty. Never trust pretty people."

"So a lot like you, you mean."

"Shut up."

They walked in silence for a few moments, but Jane knew Skye wasn't really mad at her. Jane glanced over at Batty and Rosalind, a few steps behind. Batty kept bending down to pick colorful flowers and was giving them to Rosalind to weave into a head wreath.

Jane looked back to Skye, who was kicking every tree she passed with venom. Jane sighed. She knew Skye was upset about the new kids from Jeffrey's school. So was she. But, unlike Skye, she was willing to give them a chance. Who knew? Jane had a strong belief that every person's path that crossed her own taught her something. Especially is that person gave you ideas about Sabrina Star.

Jane smiled to herself. Ah, now here was a topic she could think about all day.

Jeffrey's gang of friends had given her an idea; it was time for Sabrina Star to have some partners in heroism. Yes, she'd had friends like the archeologist and a first love, but never had she ever met or saved anything with anybody anywhere near close to her skill level. She hadn't needed them. But maybe it was time for Sabrina Star to feel a little humility and maybe a little fear; after all, the best writers have to write from different angles and portray different emotions if they ever want todevelop their writing. And, yes, Jane's writing had developed significantly and it would continue to.

Sabrina Star should have five allies, Jane decided after much internal debate. Yes, six in total was a good number. Two girls and three boys, to make things even. And maybe she could use some of Jeffrey's friends' qualities as a base for her characters' personalities. Of course, she would have to make some adjustments here and there, and she could never tell Skye. Oh, no, Skye would kill her if she ever knew what Jane was thinking.

But what would the group of heroes do? Sabrina Star would be the leader of course—males were always the center of heroism and, truly, when faced with the facts, any decent human being just had to admit that Sabrina Star was the hero of all heroes.

"Rosy! Where is the key?" Jane was pulled out of her daze by her father's voice. Up ahead, was their beloved cottage, where Jane treasured some of the best memories of her young life. The friendly, creamy yellow color of the snug cottage; the front porch where she, Jeffrey, and Skye had painted pictures of Dexter to shoot arrows at; the sweet smell of the cheerful pink roses climbing the wall; the large dog pen that Hound had managed to escape from; the trees that they had dodged while playing some very intense soccer; and the wondrous attic bedroom that was the perfect place for the best of writers…it was all just as she remembered. Except, of course, there had been no Iantha or Ben then, but their presence would surely make the vacation all the better. And, of course, Rosalind hadn't had to retrieve the key to the cottage from Hound, who had found it under the mat before Mr. Penderwick had, and was now running joyfully around and around the house.

"Deranged dog," Skye muttered.

And, of course, Skye had not been so dejected. Skye, who could conquer anything—albeit stage fright.

But none of those details really mattered.

What mattered was that the family was back again, in their one of their favorite places—Arundel; with rabbits to visit, a mansion to explore, gardens to write in, and a cozy cottage to bake brownies in. Jane breathed the sweet air in deeply. Ah, she could already smell them.

Jane smiled hugely as she watched Rosy throw open the door after finally gaining possession of the key from Hound, who promptly ran inside, trailing dirt behind him.

This was going to be the best vacation yet.

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**Gonna get interesting rreeaaall soon!**

**You know what your conscience is telling you: So review and tell me what you think!**

**Action and drama coming soon I promise! Xoxo ~Shastafire**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long. Alot going on. But anywho here it is! It's kind of long and none of the other chapters are going to be this long but I wanted this to be perfect. I've had it planned out for a while but just got it down on a doc while on the way to a competition 5 hours away. X) **

**Worked hard on this y'all! Hope you enjoy! and thanks for the reviews! Apologies for errors!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Jane: hey! Listen to what I made up: Romeo! Romeo! Where for art thou Romeo!**

**Me: Jane...that was written by a genius...not by you...**

**Jane: like you could do much better...;)**

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Skye was awakened by a dull _thunk_. She pried her eyes open and frowned at the white fan above her head. Maybe it was Jane in her bedroom—which was really an attic—bouncing her soccer ball. Skye was about to scream at her sister that NOBODY was EVER going to get any sleep around here with her slamming a soccer ball THIS early on a Sunday MORNING.

_Thunk_.

There it was again. And it wasn't coming from above Skye's bed. In fact, it seemed to be coming from her window.

Skye pushed off the covers—for curiosity can overcome even a tired girl in on an early morning—and pattered across the shiny wooden floor to the window. Daylight practically blinding her, Skye squinted and peered down at a figure with brown hair and lots of freckles holding something big and thin with some sort of stick and—

_Thunk_.

An arrow flew right at Skye's nose and was stopped an inch from her face by the window pane. Surprised, Skye stumbled backward and fell. She quickly stood back up and flew down the stairs. She burst outside and stopped a meter from Jeffrey. Skye was about to smile when she remembered that she was still frustrated with him and made a cross face.

If Jeffrey noticed, he didn't let on. Instead, he smiled and said, "Reminds you of another time in another situation, doesn't it?" Skye knew that he was talking about two years ago when he was planning on running away because his mother was going to force him to go to Pencey Military Academy. But in the end, Jeffrey finally got his mother to listen and they compromised on him going to a boarding school in Boston and private piano lessons at the New England Conservatory.

Skye was about to say something snarky when she noticed that Jeffrey was holding up two bows and two sheaths of arrows—not just one.

He looked at her and gave her a lopsided smile that every Penderwick adored. "Want to come? I have something I want to show you."

Skye had a quick internal debate. She finally made up her mind and told him, "Wait here."

She sprinted back up the stairs. Skye threw on a pair of athletic shorts, a blue T-shirt, and sneakers. Skye wrestled her blonde hair into a ponytail, left the earrings she'd worn the night before in (Her best friend Genevieve had convinced Skye to get them pierced along with her) and quickly shoved on her camouflage cap.

Back outside Jeffrey was already waiting by a cluster of trees. To Skye's surprise, he was holding a bandana. He instructed her to turn around and close her eyes. He tied the bandana over her eyes and told her to grab onto his hand. She did as she was told and soon they were trudging through was Skye believed to be a heavily wooded area.

"Ouch!" Skye said for the fourth time since they'd begun their trek. She heard Jeffrey stifle a laugh and say, "Sorry."

"Jeffrey, is this really necessary?" She began to lift her bandana. "Because I swear that was the millionth tree I've run in to and I'm starting to think that—"

"No," Jeffrey said as he lunged out and pulled the bandana back down over her eyes before she could get a glimpse of where they were.

Skye sighed. "Oh, honestly. I'm starting to think that you're making me run into trees on purpose. . ."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Jeffrey!"

"What? It's funny!"

"Yeah, but you're not the one wearing this stupid bandana. What were you thinking any—OUCH!" Skye's forehead slammed into what she believed to be a low branch and her feet went out from under her. She hit the wood's floor with a thump and realized that twigs and rocks poking into your back really wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.

And Jeffrey was laughing.

Skye had half a mind to laugh too, but she decided to portray her frustration instead. "You know what, Jeffrey? You are SO going to be paying for my medical bill when I end up with a concussion and you'll have to nurse me back to health and buy me new soccer cleats and—"

"What do soccer cleats have to do with it? And you wouldn't have a concussion if you could speak complete sentences. Though with the mention of soccer I'm not so sure . . .," Jeffrey pointed out.

Skye swung out her arm and heard scrambling among leaves, so she took that as Jeffrey backing away from her dangerous arm. Good.

Skye eventually fell silent and Jeffrey stopped running her into trees. They walked along like that for a while, boy and girl, hand in hand, listening to the early morning noises and feeling the breeze on their faces.

Skye was soon letting her mind wander to the events of the previous days and how she was finally back at Arundel and how she was being led by hand to somewhere mysterious by an amazing friend- Jeffrey stopped so suddenly that Skye ran smack into him. Thankfully, she didn't fall.

"We're here?" Skye asked.

Jeffrey took a deep breath, "Yeah. We're here."

Skye waited a moment for her eyes to be unveiled and when they didn't, she said slowly ,"Well...aren't you gonna take this off?"

"What? Oh yeah. Of course. Here," he said softly, "open your eyes."

She felt Jeffrey slide the Bandana off her face.

The sight that struck her was truly breathtaking. Lush green grass covered the large clearing and tickled her ankles. Around the clearing stood the tall leafy trees that grew all over Arundel and created patterns along the forrest floor from streaming sun rays. Off a ways you could see light shimmering off of the lake and catch glimpses of the frogs that Batty so adored leaping out of the water.

Skye briefly wondered how far they'd walked, but the thought didn't stay on her mind for long.

Why? Because of the targets. Five of them. Spread out along the circumference of the circle. Each was as wide as her arm-span and was about five feet tall. Alternating red and white rings with a red bullseye in the dead center of each.

In awe, Skye spun in a slow circle, taking it all in. "This is definitely a step up from cardboard," she breathed.

Jeffrey grinned like an idiot. "Thought you'd like it. Here,"he tossed her a bow and a sheath of arrows,"let's see how your shot is."

Skye said,"You do know, Jeffrey, that I haven't really shot since I was last here."

"Oh this is new! Skye? Backing down from a dare?" Jeffrey said slyly, making tsk tsk noises.

Skye scowled and with out a word, grabbed an arrow and dropped the sheath to the ground.

Jeffrey stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, watching. A small smile played on his face.

Skye was about to load when she noticed something different.

She frowned and examined the sharp arrow, "No rubber tips?"

They really had grown up.

"No rubber tips," Jeffrey confirmed. "Well, except for the ones I shot at your window-I took a gamble with that by the way. I was worried it'd be Iantha. But I figured we could handle this."

Jeffrey must have seen something in her face as the thought crossed her mind and said, "Besides, I thought you liked lethal stuff."

Skye smirked, "Bring it on, music boy."

Skye planted her feet in the middle of the arena. She shifted her gaze to one of the targets and swung the bow up into position. She brought the arrow up over her head and carefully set it into place. She drew back the string slowly, her biceps straining to keep it taught and the arrow poised and balanced. She closed one eye and stared down the length of the arrow, setting her gaze on the center of the target. She inhaled and then as she exhaled...

And watched the arrow fly.

It hit two rings to the right of the bullseye and wavered, firmly planted in the wood.

She herd Jeffrey say, "Not bad,"just as she said ,"Blast it!"

Skye lowered the bow, "I'm a little rusty. Hand me another arrow."

Jeffrey laughed,"It was a good shot but it would've been perfect if you'd lowered your elbow just a tad. See? Like this."

He was walking over to correct her stance, one arm already outstretched, when a voice from behind them said flatly, "You're supposed to keep the sheath strapped on to your back, you know."

Skye whirled around to see the sight of Darcy standing at the edge of the clearing in jean shorts and tank top, hand on hip.

"Hi, Darcy," Jeffrey said brightly, cutting off Skye's almost-formed snarky remark.

"Oh. Hey, Darcy," Skye said instead. She noticed that Jeffrey had taken a step back from her.

"Hi. What are you guys doing out here in the early morning?" Darcy said to Jeffrey.

" I'm showing Skye the new shooting range," Jeffrey explained. "A few years back we used to shoot rubber-tipped arrows at cardboard pictures of-well, don't tell my mother this, but of-"

"Well, if you're going to shoot you might as well learn to shoot right," Darcy said.

"I can shoot just fine," Skye said crossly.

"You know I know how to shoot, Darcy," Jeffrey said. **(A/N I wish he knew how to shoot Darcy ;]) **

Darcy laughed, and Skye couldn't help but notice that her laugh was loud enough to seem real but pretty and tinkling enough to be attractive. "Oh I know _you_ know how to do archery, Jeffrey. You and I had some great times at the archery range next to the school-"the tips of Jeffrey's ears turned pink. What did that mean?-"I'm just not sure Skye here does. Here I'll show you."

Darcy grabbed Jeffrey's bow and slung the sheath of arrows on to her back. She quickly grabbed one, loaded it and shot. She shot 3 more at lightening speed. When she lowered the bow, looking quite regal in the attire-the equipment, long braid, sunglasses, and head held high-the target had four arrows stuck in it; one at the very top, one on the bottom edge, and one wavering on each side. North, South, East, and West-like a Compass Rose.

"There," Darcy smiled, glancing at Skye.

But Skye wasn't a beat-around-the-bush type of person. "How did you find out where we were?"

Darcy raised an eyebrow, looking between her and the only boy in their presence. "Why? Was this something I wasn't supposed to know about?"

She knew about this? This place that Skye had assumed would be a special one for her and Jeffrey and maybe Jane?

But Skye simply retorted. "Can I not be curious?"

Darcy glared.

"You were spying," Skye said flatly.

"What is _up_ with you?" Darcy asked.

"Darcy-" Jeffrey started.

"So you were," Skye glared, not knowing exactly where all this frustration was coming from.

"Skye, come on," Jeffrey tried an eye-roll.

Skye ignored him.

"No, I wasn't spying," Darcy snapped, all the signs of the previously sweet, helpful girl gone. " Not at least like some blondes Mrs. Dupree has been telling me about."

Skye grew rigid. Confusion was the only thing that stopped her from exploding. What had happened to this perfect, glorious morning? Mrs. TD was talking to Jeffrey's friend- _Darcy_ of all people-about her. Well, the fact that Mrs. TD was talking about her, Skye, wasn't so shocking. But the fact that Jeffrey wasn't doing anything to stop it? When had her world suddenly turned upside down? Skye didn't know what to think.

Darcy had turned to Jeffrey,"Churchie sent me to tell you breakfast is ready. Hurry up. Everyone's waiting for you."

She turned and walked swiftly away.

Skye gritted her teeth.

Jeffrey just sighed.

"I had a lot more fun with you and Jayne shooting arrows at Dexter's face," Jeffrey said quietly. "Who cares about some fancy boarding school's range? I just wanted to surprise-"

"It's wonderful. I love it. Thank you, Jeffrey." Skye stared stiffly at a spot somewhere over Jeffrey's shoulder.

"Well, you know, Skye-"

Then in a sudden stab of fury, Skye grabbed the bow that was now lying on the ground and an arrow. She loaded and shot-fast and hard.

She was already walking away when she heard the dull thunk that mean that it had stuck.

Jeffrey flinched.

Skye wasn't sorry.

"See you later," she said. She was walking back through the trees at the edge of the clearing. She felt hurt and tense. Her arm flew out and snapped off a branch. She threw it to the ground and stepped on it, almost smiling as the resounding _crack_ echoed. Birds exploded from the trees. She kept walking.

Jeffrey watched her go, dumbfounded, wondering how he'd gotten himself into this mess. Behind him, the shot stuck even and true to the dead center of the target, surrounded by Darcy's arrows.

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**Dramatic ending huh? My sisters favorite part.**

**So bottom line i would LOVE for you guys to review some more! Truth: I am motivated to update faster if I get reviews. :)**

**Surprise for next chapter all you Cagney fans...keep an eye out!**

**Just so you know...I'm kind of modeling Darcy after someone I know...**

**PM! Review! You know what to do!**

**~Shastafire**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! So first I want to apologize for making you wait so long. I hate it when authors do that, but in this case it could not have been prevented...finals and all... BUT DONT WORRY! this week will be UPLOAD UPLOAD UPLOAD. :) **

**Second, I want to thank all of you reviewers because you all made me SMILE SO WIDE and i was so happy when i got one of your reviews! I love you all! Special thanks and shout outs to:**

**Spark Writer-p.s. i loved Marry Me;)**

**angelgirl-:D**

**Princesslove-i saw your review and it gave me so much confidence! And i will definitely take your advice so that Jeffrey will make YOU smile in future chapters.**

**Ranger of the Forest-For your loyalty and feedback. Thanks!**

**Tara Firestone-Thankyou so much for your support! Your review made me so happy:) and thank you for the idea! I've put a twist in it so that it ties into the story-you will see next chapter! I think you will be pleasantly surprised!**

**And, as always, to Jean Birdsall. Who invented these characters we all so love.**

**Enjoy! and stay on your toes for the next chapter because you are going to love Monique and Jeffrey and Churchie and their BIG BIG SURPRISE OF-oops! can't tell you that! better read on!**

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Rosalind pulled a picture from the top of the pile of clothes in the drawer and rubbed her finger gently over the laughing face of her mother.

"Hi, Mommy," Rosalind said. "We're back here again."

She set the picture down on the dresser next to the bed in the room she had stayed in two years before. So much had gone on in this room—heartbreak, laughter, scheming, tantrums, and letter writing. But all that was left behind with her silly 12-year-old self. She was going to high school in the fall. She had a funny, caring boyfriend. Her life was much more settled-down now. Well, as settled down as living with three crazy sisters, a baby brother, two professors, and two pets can be. Not to mention all this tension about Jeffrey's school friends. So, really, not all that settled down at all. Rosalind found that prospect so funny that she almost laughed out loud.

All of a sudden, Skye burst into the room. "Hey, Rosy? Are quadratic equations supposed to be equal to zero or to one? I've forgotten." She held up her math book. Despite being a mere eighth-grader-to-be, Skye was very advanced in mathematics and most of the time even Rosalind could not keep up with her. But this question she could answer with her older sister knowledge.

"Zero. Because—"

"You have to isolate the rest of the equation so that you can factor it back into a binomial. Right got it. Thanks. But that means that x is going to have to…" Skye mumbled to herself as she left the room immersed in her math. Well, at least she wasn't angry or mopey anymore.

It was odd; Skye had kept a level head through most of the year—except for when Jane tried to tell her what to wear to the 7th grade dance that she had been asked to by Pearson—but in the late afternoon, Skye had stormed into the cottage, muttering something about targets and boarding schools. Rosalind was curious, but knew better than to pester her sister about it. At least Skye had calmed down now; nothing could distract her like algebra could.

Chuckling, Rosalind moved to open the window by the dresser. She pulled up the screen and put her head out the window. It looked out over the back of the cottage, and she noticed that in back there was a soccer goal. Rosalind couldn't help but smile at this gift from Jeffrey. This must have been what Jane had been so ecstatic about at lunch (Rosalind had zoned out because Jane got excited over several things…many of which Rosy had heard about before. In detail.)

The sun was sinking below the treetops ahead of her. A light breeze blew the hair away from her face. She closed her eyes and rested her head on her hand. What wondrous luck had brought them here two years ago—

"Oh, and, Rosalind—"

"Ouch!" Rosalind jumped and slammed her head on the low window frame. "I'd forgotten that was there," she grumbled as she massaged her scalp.

Skye's head was peaking in the door. "Oops. Sorry, Rosy. Just wanted to let you know that Cagney's here and was wondering where you were. I heard him with my super hearing," Skye explained.

Against her will, Rosalind's heart did a somersault. This is ridiculous, Rosalind told herself. She had a wonderful boyfriend and Cagney was a thing of the past. But that didn't mean they couldn't still be friends. The brownies she'd be baking this year would be purely out of friendship for him and Jeffrey and her family, not out of her great love.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what Cagney would be thinking. Would he remember her embarrassing fall into the lake 2 summer's ago? She desperately hoped not. Did he remember what he said to her before she left Arundel? For even though she had no great love affections for him, she did remember:

". . . She wasn't easy to talk to, not like you Hold onto that skill, Rosy, for when you're old enough to care about boys. They'll appreciate it." Yes, Caney, yes, it seems they do appreciate it.

Rosalind couldn't help but remember the kiss he gave her before he left, too.

Rosalind also remembered that he kissed every other member of her family. Oh well, at least she was the only one who was given a rose bush. And, as her first real crush, that counted for something.

Determined that she would make the conversation as normal as possible, Rosalind cheerfully left her room and skipped down the stairs.

There in the middle of the kitchen, talking to her father about _Linnaean Borealis_, was Cagney. He looked slight taller, and—was it possible?—even more handsome. You could tell that he'd grown older, but he was still wearing his Red Sox baseball cap. Rosalind spotted gardening gloves on the table, and as she descended the stairs, Cagney looked up and broke into a huge grin.

"Rosy!" he said and enveloped her in a hug. She smiled and could tell that he'd been working in the gardens because of the smell of roses, geraniums, and rich soil on his shirt. "How are you?"

"Doing wonderful, thank you."

"Well, the Penderwicks wouldn't be the Penderwicks if Rosalind wasn't happy."

Rosalind practically glowed.

"How's the pasta going, dear?" Mr. Penderwick asked.

"Give me about twenty minutes," Iantha said. Her red hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and a patterned apron was tied around her waste. She stirred a steaming pot of boiling water on the stove while Ben ran around her feet. "Spaghetti, Tomato soup, and Grilled Cheese are the only dishes I can make!" Iantha winked.

"That's better than what Skye can make," Jane, sitting at the kitchen table, snorted. "All she can make is cereal."**(That's all I can make too….kind of)**

"I heard that!" Skye shouted from upstairs.

Chuckling, Cagney said, "Well, I don't think Skye's lack of cooking knowledge could have been more proven than when she almost burned the house down two years ago. Remember that?"

"CAGNEY! Heard that, too!"

Smiling, Mr. P said, "Rosy, how about you take Cagney outside so that you two can catch up. That way, Iantha can finish cooking and Skye wont get too much into a rage."

Not wanting to be left alone with Cagney, Rosalind started to object, but was cut off by Cagney who said, "Sure, Mr. P. Let's go Rosy."

He held the door open for her like a true gentleman, and—blushing—Rosalind sat down on the porch steps. Cagney sat down next to her. And then they talked.

Rosalind had forgotten how easy it was to talk to him. She wasn't nervous, like she sometimes got around Tommy. He asked her about high school and the basketball team and her family. Rosy told him about her trip with Anna and her sister's vacation to Maine and all the things she suspected but hadn't managed to pry out of her sisters yet. She asked him about college and history (She hoped he wouldn't suggest another Civil War book; the first one was truly dreadfully boring) and even got up the courage to ask him if he had a new girlfriend. He said no, and—funnily—Rosalind didn't feel any different. She had a wonderful boyfriend already, and had no need to be jealous. Though she still thought he was incredibly handsome in the moonlight. **(who wouldn't? :P)**

When he said he had to get back to the mansion (he almost called it "palace", and they laughed), they hugged and parted as good friends with memories from that night they would treasure.

"Goodnight, Rosy! Good to see you!" He called as he walked backwards, waving.

"Goodnight, Cagney! Good to see you, too!" And she meant it.

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**so...as mentioned...stay tune for the next chappie which i'm working on as we speak (type?...)**

**LOVE YA'LL. REVIEW so that i know people care about this story and if i get reviews i will update!**

**author out. peace. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I know I must be the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD to have made you all wait so long. This summer has been crazy and I know that that is a pathetic excuse but I'm going to try my hardest to update as quickly as possible from now on. I feel so awful because i know what it's like to wait but here I am now and now we can get a move on with things:) Thankyou to Tara Firestone, Ranger of the Forest, and Spark Writer for being so loyal and for hanging in there. Thankyou to all my new reviewers and Guest reviewers for visiting my story and for all the advice because all these ideas are WONDERFUL and they get my brain moving and I hope that you like what comes from all your support. You guys are the best!:)**

**So here it is. Peace out. It's not dramatic, but it's important and it's going to lead to something a lot of you have been asking for and something I'm going to love writing. Without further adieu, read on.**

* * *

UMPH. "HOUND!" Batty screeched when she felt his large furry body slalom into her own. She hit the ground and started to giggle uncontrollably. The sky and trees above her spun and swirled after spinning so quickly. It was bliss.

Suddenly, a dark shape crouched above Batty. She gasped and scooted back on the grass, next to Hound. She still couldn't make out what it was because everything around her was spinning so fast.

"Hi there. Are you alright?" a voice asked.

Batty's vision eventually stopped spinning and she discovered that it was the kind Latina girl from the first day, looking at Batty with concern. What was her name? Anyway, Batty liked this girl. Batty liked anyone who liked animals, and this girl was scratching Hound's ears affectionately.

"Yes, I was just spinning. And then I fell."

"Oh. Ok. You're Batty, right?"

Batty smiled and nodded. "What's your name? You're not Darcy, are you?"

The girl shook her head. Good, this girl seemed way to nice to be the Darcy that she had overheard Skye describing. "No, I'm Monique. But, wait, what did you say about Darcy?"

"Well, Skye said that Darcy was bossy and mean and pretty and I think that you're really pretty but you don't seem bossy or mean."

Monique cracked a half-smile. "Why, thank you, Batty. Is this your dog?"

"Yup, this is Hound. Say hello, Hound!" Hound barked and jumped on Monique, getting slobber on her clothes.

"Hound!" said Batty. She grabbed his collar and tried to pull him back, but being the small 6-year-old she was, Hound didn't move an inch. Monique laughed and scratched behind Hound's ears.

"He's wonderful, Batty. Did you know that I have a guinea pig up at Jeffrey's house?"

Batty's eyes went wide.

"Uh-huh. Her name is Ella. Would you like to come meet her?"

"Oh yes!" Batty's was ecstatic.

Monique laughed again. "Alright, but I have to ask you and your sisters something. Where are they?" In response, Batty took Monique's hand and dragged her into the kitchen of the butter-yellow cottage.

The scene before Monique was. . . interesting. Rosalind was at the sink, washing her plate. Jane was kneeling on the floor, trying to determine if it was possible to do a spin-kick from that position—a move that she was considering using for Sabrina Starr in her new book. Skye was shoveling blueberry pancakes into her mouth, having woken up late—her hair thrown into a messy bun—and was telling Jane that that kind of move was called a round-house kick and that it could only be done standing up and that she would be so mad if Jane tried it and kicked her in the face.

Rosalind was the first one to notice that Monique was in the room. "Hello! Monique, right?" she asked.

Monique nodded. Jane, having stood up, asked warmly, "Would you like a pancake?"

"There aren't anymore, Jane," Rosalind said. "What brings you here, Monique?"

"Well, Jeffrey asked me to—"

Skye abruptly stood up, "I'm not feeling so good. I think I'm going to go upstairs."

"You can have Skye's pancakes," Jane said brightly. Skye grabbed her plate of pancakes, shot Jane a glare, and started to turn toward the stairs. Rosalind reminded her that their dad had told them not to bring any food that could stain out of the kitchen. With a huff, Skye sat down again.

"An invitation to what?" Rosalind asked, drying her hands on a towel. Jane took a small, sturdy, white card covered in fancy black calligraphy from Monique. She read aloud, "Mr. and Mrs. Dupree and Jeffrey Allen Tifton request that you join them in celebrating Jeffrey's 14th birthday by attending his birthday ball at Arundel Hall on the first of August."

"A ball!" Batty cried in delight.

"How wonderful!" Jane said. "But…Mrs. TD invited _us_?"

"Well, Jeffrey had to do a lot of persuading," Monique admitted.

"Ah." Jane, who was not at all surprised and had come to terms in her own way with Mrs. TD's less than warm attitude towards her and her sister, nodded. "Thought so."

After a moment, Skye asked, frowning, "Why didn't Jeffrey come and invite us himself?"

"He went with his mother to get a suit fitted, so he asked me to tell you."

That sounded reasonable, but Skye couldn't help thinking whether or not that was the entire truth. Was he avoiding her because of her angry exit the other day? She had come back to the cottage fuming.

"Anyway," Monique said," Churchie said to just find her if you need any help preparing. You all can always come find me, too, if you want to hang out or need help or….I'd better get back to the house—I mean, mansion. See you all. Bye, Batty."

"But what about Ella?" Batty asked, before she lost her courage.

"Oh! Ofcourse! Let's go see her now. And, yes, she loves carrots, but she goes crazy when she sees the dandelions." Monique grinned. Batty took her hand and they were almost out the door when Skye called, "Monique, how long have you known Jeffrey?"

"We all met him two years ago. Darcy and I were roommates and met him in Music Club. She plays the violin and I play the cello—"

_Oh great,_ Skye thought. _She's a musician, too? _She almost missed what Monique said next.

"—But you were right, you have known him longer," Darcy said almost sadly. "He's a good kid, and talks about you all"—Skye's heart gave a little leap against her will—"and he's right, you are good people and a wonderful family. I can tell." She gave them a wink, and walked out with Batty.

For a moment, the three sisters sat in silence. Then Jane asked with genuine curiosity, "I wonder if she plays soccer."

Rosalind sighed, "Jane. Let's think about soccer after we've sorted out what we're going to do about Jeffrey and the ball." But her eyes lit up anyway at the thought of the occasion. She would have to write Anna at once and—

"No, Jane's got a point, Rosalind," Skye said, her confidence boosted by Monique's comments. "I wonder if Darcy plays soccer . . . "


	6. Chapter 6

I** know it's been SO LONG but I've been SO BUSY but I hate letting ya'll down-so I had to brain storm and see where this took me and I surprised myself with the ending. Await the next chapter, where questions about the ball and soccer shall be answered. Thank you so much for you're support! Your reviews make me so happy every day! Special thanks to SkyeBlue, PrincessLove123, SJRivera, Ranger of the Forest, Nicole, and Tara Firestone. Ya'll rock **

***insert clever disclaimer here* :)**

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Chapter 6

Jane was sitting on her bed in the attic, chewing the end of her pencil and staring hard at the paper before her. She read aloud: "_Sabrina Starr overcame her pride and declared, 'Fellow heroes, the world is in danger—we are the peoples' only chance to stop the danger that is approaching. One of our numbers has been captured, and we cannot proceed with this quest until we all unite. It is our duty to locate the headquarters of—of—' _Rats!" Jane cried. What should the name be of the group who captured the girl who was to become Sabrina Starr's most loyal companion? Should it be in another language? Yes, yes, it should, because that will make it sound more dramatic and the general public in the story won't be suspicious. Should it be Greek? Latin? What about—

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted Jane's thoughts.

"Skye! Can you get that? I'm helping Batty!" came Rosalind's voice.

"Why can't Jane get it? I'm busy," Skye called.

"Jane! Can you get that?" said Rosalind.

Jane spluttered, "Me? I'm way up here! Why can't Skye—"

The doorbell rang again.

"I already said that I'm—" Skye started.

"Will one of you PLEASE JUST GO SEE WHO'S AT THE DOOR?" Rosalind's muffled voice yelled.

Jane, knowing that it would take serious motivation to get Skye out of her room when she didn't want to be out of it, grumbled and climbed down the attic stairs. Anyway, maybe she could ask whoever was down there if they knew any foreign languages.

"Jeffrey! Hi!" Jane smiled as she opened the screen door.

"Hi, Jane," Jeffrey grinned.

"Well, don't just stand there, you dork. Come inside! You're an honorary Penderwick—so you're always welcome—and, anyway, you technically own this house," Jane said. Jeffrey followed Jane inside the cottage. Jane noticed that he was holding a towel and a camera.

"Where is the rest of the famous Penderwick family?" he asked, glancing around, as if expecting them to pop out from behind the refrigerator or furniture.

"Dad and Iantha are taking a walk around the gardens. Rosalind is upstairs with Ben and Batty, looking at dresses for us to wear to your birthday ball. Thanks for the invitation by the way. We really all can't wait."

Jeffrey blushed, "Well, it's kind of lame for a 14th birthday party but mother insisted—and you all and Cole and Monique and all them are here, so I figured, why not? But why can't you all just wear your dresses from two years ago. Sk—You all looked awesome last time, and I would hate for you to have to buy new clothes because of my birthday party."

Jane blushed at the compliment, but laughed and told Jeffrey, "Jeffrey, if you haven't noticed, we've all grown at least two inches—including you. There is no way we're going to fit into those dresses. And honestly, the new dresses are not an issue."

"Well, if you're sure . . . what's Skye doing?"

"Skye is . . . huh. I'm not sure. SKYE! JEFFREY'S HERE!" Jane shouted up the stairs.

There was a pause, and then they heard loud hacking noises and then a muffled shout "I'm sick!" That was odd, thought Jane. Just an hour ago, she and Skye had been playing a one-on-one with a soccer ball and Skye had been in a good enough mood to make sarcastic comments about Jane's new soccer inspiration—Frenchman Jacques Leroy. She glanced at Jeffrey, who had an strange look on his face.

"Well," he said. "I was going to see if you all wanted to go swimming in the lake, but you're the only one free—so would you like to come?"

"I would love to! Be right back!" Jane raced to the stairs.

"Wait! Bring a towel and you're soccer ball, too. Cole kicked mine onto the bull's side of the fence. And remember how our last rescue mission involving the bull went?" Jeffrey asked.

"How could I ever forget?" Jane called back as she raced up the stairs. She hummed to herself as she changed into a red one-piece, grabbed a towel and her soccer ball, and slapped on some sunscreen.

Jane practically skipped down the hall to the stairs when she heard a voice whisper, "Pst! Jane. What does he want?" Jane turned to see Skye's head sticking out from behind her door fame.

Jane, wondering why in the world Skye was hiding from Jeffrey, answered, "We're going down to the lake to go swimming. Are you really sick, Skye? I brought some medicine—"

"No, no I'm fine," Skye waved off Jane's offers. "Is—is Darcy with him?"

"Darcy? What? No, she's not with him. See you later then, Skye," Jane said, and started to descend.

"Wait! I'm coming!" Skye said, and disappeared back into her room. She reappeared a moment later wearing a loose tank top and shorts over what Jane could tell was her favorite turquoise swimsuit.

They descended the stairs together to find a startled Jeffrey, who exclaimed, "Skye! I thought you were sick!"

"Yeah, well, I have a strong immune system. Let's go." And with that, she walked out of the cottage. Jeffrey just stood there for a moment. Jane thought he looked rather as though he'd been in the face by a frying pan. A grin slowly spread across his face, and he followed Skye outside. Jane followed closely behind him.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The walk to the pond was pleasant enough; the birds sung, the breeze rustled the leaves, and the sun shone happily down upon the grounds of Arundel Hall. On the social side, however, the walk was more than awkward; Jane kept asking what Jeffrey had been doing over the past few days, Jeffrey was trying his hardest to bring up anything not having to do with his friends from school, and Skye was attempting to be extremely considerate to make up for her behavior the morning of the encounter with Darcy.

All three of them were relieved to finally see the glistening lake ahead of them (across the lake, Skye could make out the back of a target). Jane then noticed a new addition to the objects around the lake and screamed, "Last one to the rope swing has to make breakfast tomorrow!" Skye grinned slyly at the challenge and took off after Jane, shedding her tank top and shorts as she ran. Skye reached the rope a second before Jane did, grabbed on, and leapt off the edge of the rock. She swung high, whooping with joy, relishes the feeling of the wind in her hair and the sun on her face. She heard another yell, and looked to the side and she fell. There was Jeffrey; he must have completely ignored the rope and run straight off the edge of the rock. Skye then went under the water, delighted by the coolness on her skin. She came up grinning and saw Jeffrey next to her. He laughed and shook his head, water flying from his brown hair, miniscule droplets clinging to his eyelashes—

"CANNONBALL!" A huge splash of water covered Skye. She rose to the surface coughing and spluttering, treading water to keep her head above the surface.

"Nice splash," noted Jeffrey.

"No kidding," mumbled Skye, though not unkindly.

"Thanks," beamed Jane. "It amazing how often people think girls can't make big splashes. You know," she paused thoughtfully, "that could make a really good line. I mean, it totally applies to Sabrina—"

But Jeffrey had gone underwater, and a second later Skye had to stop listening (she had started to zone out anyway at the reference to writing) because she was pulled underwater by something that was gripping her ankle. She thrashed, though careful not to actually kick what she knew was Jeffrey below her. Her ankle was freed and began to rise again to the surface. She open squinted underwater, the branches and the clouds distorted by bubbles and the surface, making everything above look as though it was being scene through wavy glass. She broke the surface but was then pushed under again. This time it was Jane. Skye rose to see Jeffrey giving Jane a high five. She splashed them. Then came laughing and yelled threats of "Splash me one more time, Jeffrey, and so help me I will hand you right over to the bull!" and "Don't you dare!" and "Jane, I know where you sleep at night!" (most of those threats shouted by Skye, who was finally starting to feel as though their vacation at Arundel was truly starting).

The trio, blissfully happy, were taking a break and floating, guessing the shapes of the clouds, when they heard a loud, insistent voice say, "Cole, this isn't the soccer ball you kicked onto the roof is it? And where the heck is Jeffrey?"

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**Guess who? :) I hope this makes up at least somewhat for me taking so long to write and update. I spent my entire Friday writing this. Dedicated to all of ya'll. Apologies for any errors-I wanted to get this up asap for you. **

**Question: Should I start putting snippets of the following chapter at the bottom of each chapter?**

**You know what to do! Like me or not, click that little button down there and review! Feedback is great! **

**Author Out! xx Shastafire**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, my lovelies! Here is Chapter Seven, all polished and ready. Took me a while to work out how I was going to write this, but it came to my early this morning and I sat down and finished it! You're reviews are so helpful and I take every single review and suggestion into serious consideration. I appreciate you all so much. Please keep reviewing and fell free to PM me! Ya'll are the best! And expect something special soon in those little PM boxes of yours ;)**

**Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own only the plot and my own dialogue. Nothing else. Not even Arundel.**

* * *

Skye overcame her surprise quickly. She turned to send Jane an _I-thought-you-said-they-weren't-a-part-of-this-you-are-so-going-pay-for-not-telling-me _glare, and Jane gave a small, apologetic shrug. Before either girl could say anything though, Jeffrey grabbed Skye's arm, and with a jerk of his head mouthed _"Come on". _Skye and Jane swam quietly behind Jeffrey until they were completely sheltered beneath the rock cliff.

The water under here was cooler and darker. Skye was careful to tread enough to keep her head above the water but not so much that she hit her head on the rough rock above her. Rippling lights reflected off the surface of the water and onto the craggy underside of the rock and the faces of Jane and Jeffrey.

Jeffrey cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "I'm over here! Jump in!"

His voice seemed magnified in their little cove, and Skye clasped her hands over her ears. "Geez, Jeffrey," she hissed. "Are you trying to blow my ears out?"

He just put his finger to his lips and shot her a Machiavellian smile. "On the count of three," he whispered, "we splash." Jane nodded and Skye felt a sly grin form on her lips.

Above them, they heard voices:

Darcy said, "Whose towels are these?"

A deeper voice called, "Who cares? Kade, I bet I could do a flip from the rope and into the lake."

Another voice—Kade probably—snorted, "Only one? Pathetic, Scott. I can do _atleast_ two."

"You're all talk," Scott said, but it sounded like he was grinning. "Darcy? Monique? How many do think?"

"Please." Skye recognized this as Monique. "I can do three." Skye smiled; she admired a competitive spirit.

"Guys, I really think we should figure out whose stuff this is," Darcy said slowly.

"Does it matter? Jeffrey will know, and we can ask him. Where is that little slime ball, anyway?" Scott said.

Skye turned to Jeffrey and mouthed, _"Slime ball?"_ Jeffrey grimaced and flicked water into her face. Behind him, Jane was having a hard time laughing without making any noise. It was quite entertaining to watch.

"Fine, but then whose going to watch our stuff?" Darcy pointed out above them.

"Darcy, we're on private property—," Scott said.

"—And there's nobody here who'd want to take it," Kade finished.

"Don't worry, Darcy. I'll watch it. I've got to finish this book anyway." This voice was different. Male, but higher than the other two boys' voices, and also had a slight Asian accent.

"Come on, Darcy. It's not like you to back down from a dare. Afraid?" Monique taunted, but playfully and with notes of warmth in her voice.

"Afraid? Oh, you asked for it!" Darcy contradicted stubbornly.

Skye was wondering if the grudging respect growing inside of her for Darcy was because of her competitiveness or something else that she almost missed Jeffrey signal "two" with his fingers and then—as something tan and clad in a navy blue bikini hit the water and then rose to the surface again—his "three".

They all splashed at the same time at Darcy. Laughing, Skye gave Jeffrey and Jane high fives. Darcy whipped around, shocked, and then seeing Jeffrey began laughing too. She noticed Skye and Jane behind him and her face lost it's composure for just a moment—falling into an into an emotion Skye couldn't quite place—but quickly a classic, flirty smile crossed her face again as she looked at Jeffrey and said, "Hey! We were wondering where you'd gone!"

"Hi! I just went to get these two!" he said, grinning broadly. He swam out from under the cove and towards Darcy. He didn't even look back. Skye felt the smile sliding off her face, as she watched Jane follow him. Resentment was rolling in the pit of her stomach. What'd he think she was going to do? Follow him like a lost puppy?

Skye then realized that those were almost exactly the same words Mrs. Tifton-Dupree had used to describe Rosalind's reaction to Cagney two years ago. Holy bananas, Skye hoped she wasn't acting like that. She needed to get her act back together and live up to her Penderwick name. She needed to master her anger.

Skye swam out form under the cove and was greeted with waves of cold water to her face once again. In front of her were Monique—who smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling-, and two boys: one with sopping blonde hair and one with sopping brown hair—grinning identically.

"Skye, right?" the blonde said. "I'm Kade."

"I'm King Scott the Twenty Third," the brown-haired one said, bowing his head.

Skye cracked a grin at this lame joke and shook their hands. Jane appeared beside her, and shook their hands as well.

"Hey! Is this your soccer ball?" The skinny Asian boy was apparently laying flat on the rock cliff, his head sticking over the edge. He held out the sisters' soccer ball. Before, either could say anything, Jeffrey called, "Yes, Harold! That's mine! Toss it down here!"

Harold tossed it, and Jeffrey shifted position quickly. He did a header and the ball flew right back up to Harold. He smiled and pushed his glasses up his nose. This gesture was so reminiscent of their father that both Jane and Skye felt bursts of affection for this boy.

Jane waves her hands above her head. "Hello! Young sir! Toss it hear, please!"

Jane did a perfect header—even cleaner than Jeffrey's—which bounced right back up into Harold's hands.

Skye called for it too, but before the ball even reached her she felt hands push her underwater. Spluttering, Skye turned to yell at Jane or Jeffrey, but instead found and Kade and Scott laughing and giving each other high fives. Surprised, Skye shoved them playfully backward. All of a sudden, Kade gasped.

"Great scotts, Scott! Do you see what I see?"

Scott feigned shock and stared in horror and Skye. He said, "I think I most certainly do, young Kade! A monstrosity, a growing horror, a ferocious, evil, little piece of—" He plucked something off the top of Skye's head and held it in front of her, "—kelp!"

Skye swatted it out of his hand and made a face. "Oh, shut up."

Behind Skye, Jane noticed a look on Jeffrey's face as he watched the three joke around. Could it be envy? But of what? Of whom? Jane's curiosity needed to be fulfilled. But not now—in private. Skye turned back around, and Jeffrey managed to make his expression perfectly blank. Jane noticed Darcy was looked at him from the side, too.

Darcy then called, "Here, Harold!" She headed the ball back up to Harold.

Skye, who was trying to swat away Kade and Scott's hands as they pretended to pick more stuff out of her hair, asked, "Darcy, do you play soccer?"

She shrugged, "I have in the past. I'm not sure about this year, though."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Jane cried. "We should play sometime!" Darcy didn't look so enthusiastic about this; she was grimacing.

Skye seemed to think for a moment, and then said, "Darcy, what would you say to a soccer match?"

Darcy raised her eyebrows, "Sure. What do you think, Jeffrey?" She turned to him.

Jeffrey said, "Yeah, sounds good, as long as we don't interfere with anything of my mother's. Like a garden competition." He winked at Jane, but didn't look at Skye.

Jane flashed back to two summer's ago, when they'd been playing an intense two-on-one and one of the balls had flown over the hedge. They had chased the ball until they'd come face to face with a furious Mrs. TD.

Yeah, not one of their best ideas.

"Okay, so what about teams?" Skye asked.

"I'll take Jeffrey and Monique, and you four can be a team," Darcy stated confidently.

Both Skye and Jeffrey seemed about to object, but Kade said, "Yeah. I'm cool with that."

Skye rounded on them, "Do you two play soccer?"

"No," said Scott. "But there is always a first time."

Oh crabs, Jane thought. It'd be her and Skye versus three seasoned players. How in the world were they going to do this? _Never fear_, Jane though determinately, _Victory is always awarded to the Good_. But did Jeffrey, Monique, and Darcy count as the Bad?

"What about Harold?" Jeffrey asked.

"Nah, you know me; I'll ref," Harold said.

"Ok, it's settled, then. Is this entire assembly ok with you? " Darcy asked Skye happily. Jane noticed that Darcy didn't expect a "No"; it wasn't really a question. Darcy flashed a smile at Jeffrey.

Skye, who did not look happy about this at all, said, "Of course. We need a time though." She said each word haltingly, as if what she was saying was against her better judgment.

"How about tomorrow at 3:00?" Harold suggested from above. Jane noticed that he face was turning purple from all the blood rushing to his head. He had been leaning over the edge for quite a while now.

Skye shook her head, "We need time to practice. My vote goes to two days from now."

"I agree," Kade said automatically.

"Second it," Monique agreed.

"Third," Jeffrey said. He was gazing steadily at Skye, who was giving Kade a queer look.

"Great! Sooo two days at three it is then! Well, I need to get back to the mansion, I'm starting to get cold," Darcy said and began to swim to shore.

Jane realized that she too was getting goose bumps along her arms and legs. The sun had gone behind a cloud, as if to say that it refused to shine on this situation any longer. _Oh well,_ Jane thought, _It'll still be fun. _She would prefer to play with Jeffrey of course, but any soccer game had its appeal. Jane realized she was even starting to become excited.

"Well," Jane said cheerfully, "I'm cold, too." She began to swim, but Jeffrey caught her arm. She turned around. He looked almost sad, and began to say, "Jane, I—"

He was cut off by another voice calling Jane's name. Rosalind came rushing into view. Everyone in the water look up to the rock cliff.

Rosalind, panting and hands on her knees, said weakly, "Jane! I've been looking everywhere! Daddy wants us all back at the house! Your application—the program—they've sent you your letter."

* * *

**Thanks for everything! I'm so excited for fall. Seriously. Favorite Season Ever. Keep being fantastic! What's your favorite season? **

**I would write a "Next Chapter Preview", but I haven't written the chapter yet! I wanted to get this out to ya'll as soon as possible. All ideas welcomed and appreciated! Reviews motivate for quick updates!**

**Au revior! xxx**

**Shastafire **


	8. Chapter 8

**I am a horrible, horrible person. I know. But you should know that you readers are what keep me sane. Its like my own little world. Ya'll are great and thank you to all you reviewers! Please please please keep it up! Happy New Year/Merry Christmas/Happy Kwanza/Happy Hanukkah. Bring it in 2013. Good news: I am doing nothing but hanging with friends and playing basketball this week. So that gives me time to edit and publish the chapters of The Soccer Game, The Ball, The Decision, and The Secret. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT. I value each and every one of your reviews and I learn from them and thank you personally inside my head for believing in my work.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Mr. P: Jane . . . what is this?**

**Jane: It's a story about us.**

**Mr. P: Oh really, I thought the next Birdsall book was coming out in 2015 or 2014?**

**Jane: It is. Unfortunately. **

**Mr.P: So...**

**Jane: This is a story. About us at Arundel. On Fan-fiction. With crazy awesome readers. But not Jean Birdsall. Again, Unfortunately.**

**;) Enjoy!**

* * *

The four sisters crowded around the kitchen table, where their father and Iantha were sitting. A small pile of letters lay in front of them.

"Where is it, Daddy?" Jane exclaimed, jittery with excitement, and her face flushed from their sprint to the cottage.

From the top of the pile of letters in front of him, her father picked up a thick, white, sealed packet. Jane took it from his hands gingerly, her hands shaking, as if afraid it would explode at any moment. She admired the perfect, black lettering of her name on the front: Jane Letitia Penderwick.

"How did it get here, Daddy?" Rosalind asked softly.

"Tommy. He found it in our mailbox and sent it on to us here," her father said. "Go ahead and open it, Jane-O."

"Open it, Jane, open it!" Batty wriggled impatiently. The excitement and tension in the air was becoming too much.

Jane was oblivious to most of this. Everything all of a sudden everything seemed muted, distant. All she could hear was the frantic and nervous pounding of her heart. This simple package in her hands could change her future. Her whole career could depend on the content of this parcel, Jane thought. This was it.

Slowly, she undid the clasp of the package, lifted up the top fold, and pulled out a white sheet of paper among other content. And there, there at the top of the page, she read:

**Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted . . . **

That was all she had to read. Jane stared at the paper in amazement, and then, with a whoop of joy, threw the paper behind her and shouted, "I'm accepted!"

Then there was hugging and congratulations and I-knew-you-could-do-its and so-proud-of-yous showered upon Jane. Iantha and her father beamed and Batty hugged Jane.

Hound ran around and around the kitchen, not wanting to be left out of all the excitement, while Skype feverishly tried to dodge Hound and pull on a pair of shorts at the same time, for she had run the whole way back to the cottage in only her swimsuit; much to the protest of her feet, which now were scraped from trampling branches and sharp-edged leaves—Skye hadn't taken the time to put on her shoes, and had instead opted to carry her shoes and keep up with the Rosalind and Jane, who were already far ahead of her. Skye had been talking to Scott and Kade when Rosalind had come running up. Jane and she had started to run back to the cottage, and Skye had hastened to follow them. She'd snatched up her belongings, barely registered Jeffrey calling her name—or was it Kade or Scott?—and sprinted after them. Now though, she just beamed at Jane.

The only one who didn't join in the cheering was Rosalind. She bent to pick up Jane's letter that had floated to the floor. She read the paper twice and then slid it carefully back into its envelope. She gave Jane a smile that she hoped looked authentic and then climbed up the stairs to her room, where she sat on the edge of the bed and held her head in her hands.

This was good, Rosalind told herself sternly. This was what Jane wanted. She would be able to spend a full school year, maybe longer, at the school of her dreams in Connecticut. She could get the best education on literature, writing, and the arts and participate in amazing travel opportunities. Jane could meet real authors and actors—her two current passions being creative writing and acting. She'd stay in a dorm, eat good food, ride horses from the school's stables on weekends, and would be looked out for by older students and resident assistants and dorm "moms" and counselors. She wouldn't need Rosalind.

Would she?

Rosalind was the responsible one. She knew she and her father were her sister's strongholds. Besides her sisters' vacation in Maine, where admittedly disaster had nearly occurred (or so Skye informed her), she'd never been apart from her sisters. Could Jane live alone for that long, even in a place where she had begged to apply to months earlier?

Rosalind glanced at the picture of her mother on the bedside table. And what about the promise she made to her mother? She had sworn to look after her sisters, and had made it her personal responsibility to make sure no harm ever came to them (unless is was something that she couldn't prevent, soccer injuries aside) and that they always knew that they had someone to come talk to. How could she look out for Jane if she was all the way in Connecticut?

Rosalind sighed and rubbed her temples. Everything finally made sense; she had a wonderful boyfriend, a kind stepmother, four non-injured sisters, an adorable stepbrother, and she would be starting high school in the fall—supposedly the best four years of her life. Would Jane's absence change all this?

Rosalind had been afraid of letting someone new into her life when her father had started dating.

Now she was afraid of losing someone.

What to do? _Talk to Jane_, the logical part of Rosalind's brain told her. Yes, she would, Rosalind decided, as soon as she heard Iantha's opinion.

The kitchen was deserted, and as Rosalind walked through, she could hear Jane and Skye and Batty shouting and the sound of foot kicking ball. She knocked politely on the door to Iantha an Ben's room, and when she heard a soft "come in" she opened the door. Ben immediately ran up to her, hugged her legs and said, "Rosy!" Iantha smiled at Rosalind, but then seeing the look on her face, asked Ben would he please go outside with Batty.

Once he had left, Iantha patted the bed beside her. Rosalind sat down and leaned her head on Iantha's shoulder. She smelled like lavender. She stroked Rosalind's hair and waited for her to say something. That was something Rosalind's mom and Iantha had always had in common; they were both very patient and never pried.

"It's Jane," Rosalind said.

She felt Iantha nod beside her. "Her acceptance?"

"Yes. I mean—I'm happy for her and proud and everything, but I don't know if I'm—if she's ready to leave here—leave us. She's only in seventh grade! I wasn't planning on having to go through this until college!"

Iantha laughed softly beside her. "It is a little early, I agree," she said. "But this is Jane's decision." There was a pause. "For the record," she continued, "I don't want her to leave either. I'll miss her, too. But if this is her dream, if this is what she really wants to do, we should support her in any way we can."

"I made a promise," Rosalind said very quietly, and noticed the desperation in her own voice. "I made a promise to my mother. You understand that don't you?"

"I do. And you'll be able to keep it, no matter what. I believe in you. Give Jane a few days; she'll consider the options and will listen to her heart when it comes to making the final decision."

"So. . . we're just not going to do anything?"

"We'll love her and support her just as much as we always have. If she decides to attend, then we'll visit her."

"You know that's not the same."

Iantha sighed. "I know. But let's treasure the time we know we have for sure with her. She knows how important family is." Iantha kissed the top of Rosalind's head. "It's not the end of the world. She'll be okay, Rosy. You'll be okay. It'll all be okay."

Rosy took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and nodded.

"Good," Iantha smiled. "Now, do you want to help me make some brownies? I'm afraid I truly am terrible at baking deserts."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**(The Next Day)**

"Skye? How much more do we have to run?" Kade said, out of breath, as he caught up to Skye.

"Until we're in shape enough to beat Darcy's team tomorrow. Now go up right—JANE! Get ready! Okay, now Kade CROSS!" Skye yelled as she passed the ball up to Kade, who promptly kicked it towards the goal, where it soared through Scott's outstretched fingers.

Skye sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples.

"Good kick!" Jane yelled from across the "field".

"Yes, yes good kick," Skye said. "Actually, great kick. That would get us a point. But when I say "cross" I mean for you to kick the ball ACROSS the goal, infront of the defenders, to Jane. She will then score. Right, Jane?"

"WHAT? DID YOU SAY MY NAME?"

"Yes, she will then score. Got it?"

He nodded, seemed to be about to say something else, and then stopped himself.

"Alright, let's go again! Jane cut left!" Skye shouted as she passed the ball up to Kade. He dribbled forward and then passed to Jane. The pass was a little too far ahead, and if they had been playing a full team of 9 they would've lost the ball, but as it was Jane sprinted to the ball and then kicked it. Scott jumped as it came toward him in an arc. It went right through his fingers once again.

"Good goal, Jane. SCOTT! Okay, we're going to get in a line and you're going to stop the ball. GO!"

The kicked the ball over and over again. At first, Scott missed every single one of them, but by the time that the sun was setting and the fireflies were starting to come out Scott was stopping almost every ball that came at the goal (except for some of Jane's, but that was expected. Jane was somewhat of a phenom). Skye could see, too, how Kade had improved over the past two days. He now had a stronger kick, and was actually a very fast runner when he wanted to be.

When her legs had begun to ache, and she was drenched in sweat, Skye called the team in, for this was the captain's job, and they had agreed as a group to give the captainship to her. "Ok. Bring it in, Scott! Good job, team," Skye said. "Let's meet tomorrow in front of the gardens at 9. Good work. See you later." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Jane grabbed Skye arm. "We need a team name." Jane was absolutely glowing, her face covered in sweat but her expression one of excitement—an expression that she always had whenever she played soccer.

"How about the Gorillas?" Kade suggested.

"The Giant Gorillas," Jane agreed.

"The Giant Yellow Gorillas," Scott said.

"The Exploding Giant Yellow Gorillas," Kade said.

Skye cried, "We will NOT be the giant yellow gorillas—exploding or otherwise. Besides, I brought nothing yellow." Skye tried to say this sternly, but a smile was spreading across her face nonetheless.

Jane thought for a minute. "How about the Tornadoes?"

"I like it," Scott nodded thoughtfully.

Skye and Kade agreed.

"Okay, then as vice-captain of this team, I proclaim us the Tornadoes! We will destroy and completely annihilate the other blubbering cows of the other team—well, they aren't exactly cows, but that's beside the point. We will sweep through them like Hound swept through the gardens while chasing Yaz, and we will eat them like the purple fairies I know exist eat the nectar from yellow flowers imported from Narnia—"

"Fairies eat flowers imported from Narnia?" Kade whispered in Skye's ear.

"Just go with it."

"—and we need a team color," Jane finished.

"How about purple?" Scott suggested.

Skye snorted.

"That's the color of our rival team," Jane informed him.

"Fine, how about pink?" asked Scott.

Skye looked appalled.

Jane sighed and said, "Sounds good to me, but Skye owns absolutely nothing pink."

Scott looked confused. "I thought all girls liked pink."

"Then you have been woefully and completely misinformed," Skye said.

"How about blue?" Kade spoke up.

"Why blue?" Jane asked.

Kade looked at Skye. "Because it matches her eyes."

Skye felt herself blushing—_WHY AM I BLUSHING? s_he thought—and quickly said, "Good. Blue it is. Tomorrow at nine. Sleep well. We have a team to beat tomorrow. Hands in. Call it, Jane."

"Tornadoes on three. One! Two! Three! TORNADOES!"

Kade and Scott said goodbye and walked away, playfully shoving each other and laughing. The sun was almost completely down below the trees, the last rays piercing through the and clouds and lighting the sky orange and pink.

Skye kicked the soccer ball. It bounced off the metal rim of the goal, making a hollow, almost echoing noise.

"You know, Skye, Kade—" Jane started.

"If this is about what Kade said about my eyes, please just make a comment about the weather or something."

Jane hesitated. "It really is a beautiful day today."

Skye laughed, and kicked the ball in the air toward her sister. Jane headed it into the goal.

"Nice." Skye grinned.

As she went to retrieve the ball, Jane said, "They're actually kind of funny."

"Yeah, kind of." Skye stopped the ball as it came rolling toward her. "Jane, do you think we can win tomorrow?"

"Do I think we can win? Yes," Jane said confidently. "Will we? I don't know. All three of them are good. I saw them practicing this morning when I went to visit Churchie. Skye, Darcy is going to give you a heck of a game. So will Jeffrey."

"Why Jeffrey?"

"Because he has a crush on you. And all boys try to look tough in competition, especially in one against the girl they like." Skye was not expecting this response at all. She stood perfectly still, a little shocked, but her heart had skipped a beat and was now dancing inside her chest. Jane patted Skye on the shoulder.

"Good job today, dear sister. We're going to cream Cameron Hardware in the fall. THOSE MAD COWS!" And with that, Jane walked back to the house, leaving Skye standing in the middle of their "field", the sun now completely gone, wondering when her sister had gotten so smart and so good at noticing things.

* * *

**Hope you liked this! I had fun writing it! I love developing characters and scenery. Any questions? PM me. Like or hate it? Please review. Y'all are great. Enjoy the story. **

**GET EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! Go Tornadoes!**

**xx Shastafire**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry I've kept you waiting for so long. To try to make up for it, this is my longest chapter. It was actually even longer than this, but I had to find a stopping point and transfer everything else to the next chapter (which will be posted very soon). **

**Nicole: Thank you for your reviews! You have some very good ideas :) Buuuut I can't tell you anything; you'll have to find out in the next few chapters. And don't worry, I will try to write faster!**

**DontBlink: haha nope I'm alive, not dead. Just busy. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! Thanks for your reviews!**

**Ice/Sailheart: Thank you so much for your reviews! Your support means so much to me. Thank you for getting so involved in the story, and I hope you keep reading it! You are awesome!**

**Iruchi-chan: Thank you! You're reviews are so helpful and motivate me! I'm glad you're so involved, and I hope my story can answer all your questions! :)**

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**SkyeBlue: Thank you! I appreciate everything and take all your ideas into account! **

**IamAthenaDaughterofZeus: Thanks! I'm glad you're so engaged!**

**And to all of my guest readers: You have no idea how much I appreciate you. I try my best, and you make it all worth it. You are fabulous.**

**When I get a notification for a review, I always tell myself that i really really need to just drop everything and WORK ON THE NEXT CHAPTER. Thanks for your support and feedback. It really helps me. Its wonderful to hear from people who loves these characters as much as I do. I hope the wait was worth it. This chapter has two scenes, and the next chap is almost done. Jane and her beloved friend Jacques Leroy hope that you enjoy! ;)**

* * *

Batty knew it was early. So early, in fact, that nobody else in the cottage was awake.

Batty also knew that she was not going to be able to go back to sleep. She'd been thinking about Monique's hamster, Ella. Batty loved Ella. She loved her soft caramel fur and her big round eyes. She loved how Ella nibbled on her food and scurried in and out of her little plastic hamster house. But Batty had noticed that something about Ella seemed a little sad, and she had just now figured out what it was.

Ella was lonely.

Batty was sure that Monique gave Ella more than enough love, but sometimes, Batty figured, animals just needed the company of other animals. So that was why Batty, in her nightgown, was now walking across the dewy grass toward Arundel Hall, with Hound bounding forward to pounce on the occasional daisy and then running right back to her. Ella needed another friend as soon as possible.

And Batty was certain that Hound and Ella were going to be great friends.

Batty ran from bush to bush, hoping that that would be enough to hide her from anyone who decided to look out the window. She shuddered at the thought of being found by Dexter or Jeffrey's mother, and asked Hound for the fourth time if he would please pant a little quieter.

Once she had made it around the back of the house, she knocked on the little red door. Batty could smell cinnamon rolls baking from inside. Good. That meant that Churchie was probably in the kitchen making breakfast.

But, still, after knocking twice more, the door was not answered. Batty quietly let herself and Hound in. She was immediately enveloped in wonderful aromas, and could see a large plate of cinnamon rolls on the table. A pitcher of orange juice and several glasses sat next to the rolls. Batty looked around the room for Churchie, but she was nowhere to be found. Oh, well. She and Hound could visit Churchie after they'd gone upstairs to see Monique and Ella. Batty peeked through the green double doors, and upon noticing that there was nobody in the dining room outside, turned to get Hound when—

BANGSHATTERCRASH!

Batty gasped and spun around. Pieces of the plate and the pitcher lay scattered over the floor in jagged shards. Hound was stepping through the puddle of orange juice that was spreading slowly across the tile floor and gobbling up the last of the cinnamon rolls.

"Oh, _Hound_," Batty moaned.

"Churchie? Churchie, is everything all right?" a male voice called from outside the kitchen. "What's going on in there? Churchie?"

Batty gasped again. It was Dexter. If he found her and Hound here in the kitchen with this mess, he would throw them out into the wild and then the wolves would eat them and Rosalind would be so worried and Daddy would never know what happened.

No, they couldn't be found.

Heart pounding, Batty used all her strength to drag Hound—who had moved on to lapping up the juice—into the corner behind the trashcan.

"Sit," she whispered to Hound. He sat. Batty hoped the trashcan was enough to conceal both of them.

Batty heard double doors swing open, and the voice say again, "What the . . ." Footsteps as the man walked around the room. Batty heard the footsteps get closer, and buried her face into Hounds fur. _Maybe_, she thought, _this was all just a bad dream. Maybe she was back in her bed, her eyes closed, dreaming about—_

"Batty?"

The voice sounded as surprised as Batty felt. Dexter hadn't ever remembered her name before. So who was this? Batty retreated from Hounds fur, and found herself looking at Cagney. He had moved the trashcan aside, and was kneeling in front of her.

"Batty, what are doing behind the trashcan?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Oh, Cagney!" she rushed to give him a hug, relief flooding over her. They were going to be all right. Cagney would protect them. "I was just coming to say hi to Ella—"

"Ella?"

"Monique's hamster. And then Hound knocked over the plate and ate all the rolls and I thought you were Dexter and that he would throw me out to the wolves!"

The corners of Cagney's mouth twitched.

The green doors banged as through them ran a harried-looking Churchie. "Good Lord, what on earth is—"

She stopped when Batty threw her arms around Churchie's middle and cried, "Oh, Churchie, I'm so sorry. It was Hound! I shouldn't have brought him, I'm sorry, I just wanted to see Monique's hamster . . ."

Batty's eyes filled with tears. Churchie, surprised, patted Batty's back affectionately. "It's all right, dear. I just had no idea of what had happened. Now, let's get this cleaned up, and we can make some more cinnamon rolls."

Once they had mopped up the mess, Cagney said goodbye and left and Batty helped Churchie bake and squirt icing on some more cinnamon rolls. Batty was sitting at the table, telling Churchie all about her adventures last summer in Main, when Jeffrey and Monique, both yawning, trudged into the room.

"Hello, Churchie. Good morning, Batty." Monique smiled.

"Why up so early, Battykinz?" Jeffrey asked as he lifted her out of her chair and held her upside down by her feet. Batty shrieked with delight and demanded that Jeffrey put her down. Once Jeffrey had done so, Batty turned to Monique.

"I wanted Hound to meet Ella."

Monique looked surprise, and was about to say something when in walked two boys whose names Batty had forgotten. Both were wearing all blue and tennis shoes.

The boy with the brown hair looked around and said, "Where's Harold and Darcy?"

Churchie said, "I saw them talking in the parlor as I came downstairs."

Jeffrey was frowning. "Why are you dressed so early?" he asked the two boys. Batty noticed that he and Monique were still in their pajamas.

"Skye wants us down at the field at 9," the boy with the blonde hair said, as he snatched a cinnamon roll from the center of the table.

"I have eggs cooking if you want some, boys," Churchie called from the stove. Both said yes please, they would love some.

"At 9?" Monique asked. "The game doesn't start until ten-thirty."

The boy with the brown hair shrugged, and plucked the cinnamon roll that his brother was holding out of his hand. "Skye said something about a twenty minute run and a tackle drill." He popped the pastry into his mouth.

"A tackle drill?" Monique frowned. Batty remembered the tackle drills they used to do with Nick before he headed off to college, and wondered if Skye—who usually seemed annoyed when Nick forced her to participate—had actually learned something from them.

"That's Skye for you," Jeffrey said, grinning.

The green doors swung open once again, and a pretty girl wearing a red tshirt and with her hair in a long, sleek ponytail walked through followed by a short Asian boy. Batty thought he looked a little nervous.

"Darcy! About time you showed up," the boy with brown hair said.

The girl—Darcy—gave him a once-over and raised her eyebrows. "Trying to impersonate the Smurfs, I see."

The blonde made a face at her. "It's our team color."

So _this_ was Darcy. Batty sank a little lower in her chair. And although Darcy didn't see Batty, she certainly noticed Hound.

"Why," Darcy said slowly, "is there a dog in the kitchen?"

"You have a problem with him?" the blonde boy challenged.

"I'm allergic," she stated flatly.

"That's Hound. Batty's dog. Oh, Batty don't be afraid." Monique tugged her out from under the table, and pulled Batty on to her lap.

Darcy looked surprised. "Oh. Hello."

"You don't like dogs?" Batty asked quietly, her heart sinking.

Something in Darcy's expression softened. "No, I love dogs. But since I'm allergic, I own cats instead. I wish I could have a dog." She grinned; her smile was surprisingly warm. It gave Batty the courage to turn around and face Monique.

"I brought Hound so he could meet Ella," she announced.

Monique was struggling for words. "Well, Batty, I don't think—I mean I'm not so sure if—if—"

"He won't hurt her, I promise. They'll be great friends. Please, Monique?" Batty said.

Monique looked troubled, but agreed.

"Monique, are you sure?" Darcy asked. "I mean, she's _four_ and—"

"I'm six," Batty said loudly. Darcy blinked.

"How about later, Batty? I think Ella's sleeping right now." Churchie set a plate of eggs down in the center of the table. She kissed Batty, who was disappointed, but was also looking forward to this afternoon. "Now, eat up," said Churchie. "You've all got a long day ahead of you."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Annihilation for the enemies and humiliation for Darcy. Annihilation for the enemies and humiliation for Darcy. Annihilation for—JANE!" Skye shouted and dropped her hands, which had been hovering over her knees in a meditation pose, as, for the seventh time that morning, Jane sent the ball whizzing past her head so closely and into the goal that it blew her hair back.

"Well, if you didn't insist on doing your pre-game ritual in front of the goal we will be scoring at, then maybe I wouldn't interrupt you. Why do you have to be in front of this goal anyway?" Jane asked.

"Because it's lucky," Skye snapped. "Why do you have to practice shooting right _now_?"

"I've got to get warmed up for the game, don't I?" said Jane, walking to the back of the goal.

"Yes, but why do you have to shoot at _this_ goal?" Skye asked.

Jane snatched up the ball. "It's lucky."

Skye sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry, Jane. I'm just really high-strung right now is all."

Jane patted her sister on the back. "It's okay, dear sister. We're going to crush today. Just keep the mentality that Jacques Leroy has, and we are invincible!"

Skye rolled her eyes and groaned. "Not him again."

Jane all but grinned and squeezed her sister's arm. "That's the spirit. And look! There's Kade and Scott!"

Kade and Scott dropped their water bottles on the sideline, which was marked by stones. (The field was set up behind the cottage, and was the actual length of a normal soccer field. Jeffrey had gotten another goal from God-knows-where and Cagney had set it up earlier that morning.) They jogged up to Skye and Jane.

"Reporting for duty, madams," Scott said, and saluted.

"Good," Skye clapped her hands. "Let's get started."

The next hour consisted of stretching, light running, a water break, dribbling, passing, another water break, shooting practice, and a short one-on-one "tackle" drill. (The drill was not as brutal as it had sounded, and was merely an exercise to encourage aggressiveness, contact, dribbling, and defensive ball skills. The brothers had been nervous at first to be rough and try to get the ball for fear of hurting the girls, but after having both been dribbled around and knocked to the ground by Skye and Jane, they began to work harder and be more aggressive.) Somewhere around water break number two the other team showed up.

With fifteen minutes left until the game, Skye let her team rest. She sat down on the ground and took several big gulps of water. Skye watched Jeffrey pass the ball to Darcy, who made a move and passed back to Jeffrey, whose attempt to score was blocked by Monique. They performed several more drills, most of which, Skye realized, she and Jane had taught Jeffrey two years previous. As she looked on, Skye acknowledged, both grudgingly and with surprise, that Jeffrey had grown leaner, stronger, and faster. His moves were more decisive, and his kicks and passes harder than the last time she had played soccer with him. But he was still the same 'ol Jeffrey; his hair was still messy and brown, his eyes still playful, his laugh still contagious, and his smile still bright. She noticed him grinning as he watched Darcy kick the ball gracefully into the upper right hand corner of the goal.

Darcy was talented, Skye had to admit. She controlled the ball well and ran fast. Skye wondered what could possibly make Darcy want to quit; she could tell just by watching that Darcy loved the sport and worked hard at it. Monique, too, was very good. Her athleticism was exemplified as she did warm up sprints, made some excellent goalie moves, and kicked her goal kicks so far and high that it made Skye's neck hurt to watch the ball soar through the air. Monique and Darcy worked well together; Skye could tell they had played together for a long time. They trusted each other with the ball, anticipated each other's moves, and knew each other's abilities inside and out.

Together, they were going to be a tough team to beat.

But if there was one thing Skye had been naturally gifted with, it was determination.

Harold called both teams to the center of the field. He wore a white shirt and a whistle around his neck to distinguish himself from the two teams. "Now I've looked up all the rules and I studied them so I think that I can ref a fair game. I'll keep score. Each team will play with three, with somebody on Skye's team as a sub. Now . . ." Harold continued to explain. Jeffrey winked at her and Jane fist bumped Monique, but Darcy just redid her long ponytail and glared at Skye.

"Alright." Harold had finally finished. "Jeffrey's team will start with the ball, since they have fewer players at their disposal." He set the ball down in the dead center of the field. Skye backed up a few paces, Scott headed to the goal, Kade went to the sidelines as sub, and Jane set off for the right side of the field, her positioning mirrored by Jeffrey. Darcy walked up to the ball and leaned forward, ready to run.

With a half smile, Darcy whispered, "Are you ready to lose, Skye?"

Skye faced Darcy, her muscles tense, and with a smirk said, "You wish."

Then Harold blew his whistle.

-.-.-.-.-

The game was well matched. Darcy and Jeffrey had obviously practiced together before, and maneuvered up and done the field in exemplary motion. But whenever they got too close to the goal, Skye or Jane would steal the ball and run up the field. And even though Darcy and Jeffrey worked well together, Jane and Skye had the advantage: they were sisters. They knew each other's limits and skills, and they pressured and maneuvered up and down the field perfectly. With Jane's fantastic skill, and Skye's aggressiveness and speed, they were virtually unbeatable.

Darcy seemed to notice this after Monique narrowly and incredibly saved the ball Jane had kicked from soaring into the back of the net. Darcy pressed hard and moved up the field. Skye stayed close to Jeffrey, who was playing his absolute hardest. Darcy, who Skye could tell was irritated by Jane's superb defense, passed the ball a little too far behind Jeffrey. Skye shot forward and neatly intercepted the ball. She dribbled and looked for Jane who, bless her, was already sprinting towards the goal. Adrenaline running through her veins, Skye passed the ball to sister, but she never received it.

Monique had barreled over Jane, roughly elbowing her and knocking her to the ground. Jane rolled and came to a stop, crouching on all fours, breathing heavily.

"Foul!" Skye heard Kade shout angrily. Skye spun to see why Harold hadn't called a foul, and when he noticed her looking at him, he hastily turned to stare at a nearby tree.

"Jane!" Monique called, and started out of the goal. "Jane, are you-?"

"Oh, she's fine!" Darcy yelled, a malicious sneer on her face and disgust in her voice. "Wimp. Monique, STAY IN THE GOAL! Jeffrey, what are you doing? RUN! GO!"

_Keep calm. Handle what is in your control_, Skye told herself. She gritted her teeth, and with one last glance to her sister, who was—thankfully—getting to her feet, turned her attention back to the game. Darcy dribbled swiftly towards the goal and Scott, who was in position with his hands ready. Skye sprinted down the field to catch up. Jeffrey received the ball and neared the goal. He passed back to Monique, who lunged forward. The ball soared through the air, Scott jumped high, and—

"GOAAAAALLLLL!" Jeffrey yelled, his arms in the air as he ran to high-five and hug Darcy. Skye's hear sank; it was now one-to-zero.

The game began again, and Skye ran towards the ball sitting in the center of the field waiting for her.

"JACQUES LEROY IS NOT A QUITTER! WE SHALL NOT GIVE UP! VICTORY IS FOR THE DESERVING!"

Skye stumbled._ Rats_. Here came Jane's inspirational French soccer player, Jacques Leroy, Athlete Extraordinaire and Creator of Fantastic Quotes. This was not what Skye wanted, but at least it meant that Jane was not fatally injured. And at least it was not Mick Hart.

Skye passed the ball neatly up to Jane who dribbled swiftly around Darcy. She laughed madly and screamed, "I AM A WINNER! I AM FASTER THAN THE WIND! I AM SWIFTER THAN AN EAGLE! And the rest of you are SLUGS!"

Jeffrey was sprinting towards Jane, but her way was temporarily wide open. Jane found her angle and, with a fantastic stride, punted the ball to the goal. Monique dived, but the ball rolled off the tips of her fingers and slammed into the back of the net.

"SCOOOORE!" Jane screamed and ran towards her sister, her arms spread wide like a bird. "THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSING, JACQUES!"

"YES!" Skye leaped towards her sister and koala hugged her. They fell to the ground laughing, and then Kade and Scott were there chest-bumping each other and yelling "Goal!"

Not even Harold's call of ten minutes left to play or Darcy's eye-roll could dampen Skye's mood as the game resumed. Up and down the field the two teams ran. Scott prevented Jeffrey from scoring two more goals, but so did Monique on the other end. The sun beat down viciously on the two teams, and all of them were drenched in sweat. But Skye was in her element; she felt on top of the world, invincible, like the strongest woman alive, ready to—

She heard Jane cry out, a sound of mingled surprise and agony. Skye's heart skipped a beat, and she whirled to find Jane. About twenty feet away from Skye, Jane was curled on the ground, rolling from one side to the other, her face contorted. Her hands gripped right above her left ankle. And a short ways away from her stood—

"Darcy!" Skye growled.

* * *

**So, that's what I'm giving ya'll today! Next chapter is almost finished! I hope you enjoyed! Keep reading and reviewing! You all are fantastic! If you have any comments please please please let me know through reviews or PMs. I hope I'm keeping everyone in character. I hope my story is interesting. Please review!**

**Ya'll rock!**

**xxShastafirexx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello fellow mischief-makers! So here's chapter ten. Kind of intense...spend my entire Monday working on this, so I hope it was worth it. I tried to keep everyone in character, but keep in mind that with time comes change; still though, we still maintain some qualities forever.**

**Nicole: I cannot put into words how much your reviews and your insight means to me. Thank you for sticking with this story. :) I hope it's worth it. You have a talented eye, and I would love to hear you ideas!**

**StardustTARDIS: Thanks for your support! I'm so glad you feel the emotion; an author wants the readers to feel things and take things away from them! You and Nicole are excellent examples. Thanks again!**

**Don'tBlink: Same thing for you; your support means so much to me! Thanks for everything! **

**RangeroftheForest: two words: you rock!**

**Randomsarcasm: Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoy it! And yeah I would love to hear your ideas and read your fanfic!**

**To all my Guest and other reviewers: I can't tell you how much ya'll mean to me. Please keep reviewing and giving me feedback and pointers. Thank you also for being patient. You are the best readers in the world. Please keep being awesome. This is for you to enjoy :)**

**Can anyone tell me what happened to Batty's wings?**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot and some of the characters (aka not Jeffrey or the Penderwicks. Yeah. Their Birdsall's)**

**I hope you get lost in this story. :) Read away!**

* * *

Skye yelled, "Darcy, what have you-!"

Darcy's mouth opened in disbelief, and her eyes narrowed. "Are you kidding me?" Darcy said, her voice filled with rage. She threw her hands up in the air. "I didn't even touch her! You always just jump to conclusions, don't you?"

But Skye wasn't listening anymore. She knelt down next to her sister. Jane grabbed her hand, and squeezed so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Not—her," Jane ground out, her eyes full of pain as she managed to pull herself into a sitting position and stare down at her ankle, which was twisted at an odd angle. "There's a hole—over there. Stupid—fell into it—ankle twisted—"

Then Jeffrey was on Jane's other side, and Monique was kneeling down at Jane's feet. "Jane," Monique said patiently, but firmly. "I'm going to unlace your shoe. I want you to keep very still." Jane nodded. Monique slowly and careful unlaced her shoe. Even through the thick sock that her sister wore, Skye could tell that her ankle was swelling. Ankles weren't supposed to bend that way, either. Jane didn't make a sound, but tears streamed down her face. Jane, who rarely cried when she got hurt.

"Okay. Okay," Skye said, her breathing faster than it should have been. Skye refused to panic. She was the OAP right now; what would Rosalind do? "Jane, can you stand?"

Jane gave a small, breathless, humorless laugh. "I can try."

Together, Skye, Monique, Jeffrey and even Darcy helped Jane into a standing position. She tried to put weight on her left foot, but instead clenched her jaw and ground her teeth together to keep from crying out. Her foot definitely could not hold her weight at the moment. She leaned heavily on Monique and Skye as they walked her to the sideline. Scott brought forward a water bottle, and Skye noticed Kade shoot an anxious glance in their direction. Harold hovered next to Darcy.

"So," Darcy said. "Are we done playing?"

"Yes," Jeffrey said. "We're done. Jane's hurt, and I think it's time we—."

"No," Jane protested, as she was slowly lowered to the ground. "Kade can play for me. We should finish this game."

"What? Jane, that's ridiculous! You're injured, and we've got to get you to a hospital or something!" said Jeffrey incredulously.

"It's not fatal. And besides, Sabrina Starr always finishes what she starts," Jane said.

"Not with an ankle that looks like a bowling ball, she doesn't!"

"Seven minutes won't kill me, Jeffrey."

"Jane, are you sure this is okay?" Skye asked anxiously.

Jane opened her mouth to respond, but instead Darcy said, "She's sure. We'll get you some ice or something soon, Jane. But we should finish the game." Darcy grinned—it was almost a sly grin.

Skye glared at her, and Jeffrey frowned, but soon they were in the center of the field again. Skye had the ball and, when the whistle blew, passed ahead to Kade.

"Go Tornadoes!" Jane cheered.

Jeffrey stole the ball. Skye sighed as Kade looked around to see where the ball had gone, and sprinted after Jeffrey.

Up and down the field the two teams ran. Skye pushed herself even harder to dribble past Jeffrey, to intercept every pass. The sun beat down on the players, and sweat ran down Skye's back and legs and into her eyes. But if Skye was playing hard, then Darcy was a mad woman. Suddenly, she was everywhere and was determined to not let Skye or Kade anywhere near Monique's goal.

"One minute!" Harold called.

Kade approached the goalie box and almost outran Darcy, but she managed to boot it out of bounds anyway.

Skye jogged to the side lines to take the corner kick. She picked up the ball and saw Kade near the goal, guarded closely by Darcy and Jeffrey. Skye had to act fast. She could try to throw to Kade and risk the ball getting stolen, or . . .

"Scott!" Skye shouted. "Get over here!"

"Skye, what? Aren't I supposed to guard the-," Scott protested.

"Just c'mon!" Skye yelled, her brain whirling. This could work. This was it.

Scott ran down the field, and Skye told him to stand at the top corner of the goalie box. Jeffrey began to drift toward him uncertainly.

"Get ready Kade!" Skye said, and threw the ball as hard as she could right at Scott's chest; surprised, Scott let it bounce off. Skye, sprinting as fast as she could, allowed the ball to hit the ground once. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jeffrey shifting his attention from Scott to her, but he was too late. The inside of Skye's foot slammed into the ball, and, heart slamming in her chest, watched the ball soar directing over Darcy towards Kade. And Kade, with excellent timing, jumped high and headed it passed Monique's outstretched hands and into the goal.

"YES!" Skye shouted and threw her arms in the air. They had overcome the odds.. She heard Jane yelling something about Jacques Leroy and how he would be proud and Harold was blowing his whistle to signal the end of the game and she saw Jeffrey stretched out on his back on the grass, exhausted. She smiled and was about to walk over to him when all of a sudden Kade and Scott where there and they were hugging and cheering and jumping up and down and yelling "We did it!" and she was caught back up in the moment again. This was triumph, this was bliss, this was—

"Totally unfair!"

Skye stopped jumping and the euphoria began to fade as she turned to see Darcy stomping towards Skye and her team. Her face was red and her hair was coming out of its ponytail.

"You can't just bring the goalie out of the box like that! There has to be some rule against it! Right, Harold?" Darcy spun to glare at Harold.

Harold twisted the whistle string around his hand nervously. "Well, most likely. But Darcy—"

"See!" Darcy turned triumphantly back to Skye and her team. "That last goal was a fluke. There is no way you won fairly."

"What?" Kade said incredulously. "Darcy, this wasn't even a real game. Skye thought of a plan, and it worked. It's as simple as that."

Blood roaring in her ears, Skye forced herself to stay calm. "You scored one goal, and we scored two. We won fair and square."

Darcy gave a sarcastic laugh. "Fair and square, huh? When you have four players and we had three? I doubt you've ever done anything 'fair and square'," here she mimicked Skye's voice, "in your whole life! You're sneaky and a liar."

That was it. Skye snapped. "Me? Not fair? _Me_?" she said incredulously. "What about you? Tripping my sister just to stop her from scoring? That's low, even for you. And Harold's been calling the game in favor of your team the whole game! What did do to get you to make sure she won, Harold? Threaten you?"

Even Skye knew that that was a little too far of a stretch, but she didn't care. Harold began to open his mouth. "Don't be ridiculous," Darcy said hotly. The rage in the air was almost suffocating as Skye and Darcy faced each other head to head, temper versus temper.

Jeffrey approached and looked between Darcy and Skye. "What is going on?"

"Miss Princess over here is certain that we lost, when actually she was the one who cheated," Skye said.

Jeffrey turned to Darcy. "You did?"

She ignored this and approached Skye. "What is your problem? You've hated me ever since you came here."

"I've done nothing to you!" Skye spread her arms for emphasis.

"Hey! Let's stop this right—" Jeffrey tried to interject, but Darcy wasn't done.

"You're always talking about how you've been here most often, how you've known Jeffrey the longest. You can't stand to have anything any way but your own. You're selfish and arrogant, Skye. And you always try to be the best at everything," Darcy said furiously.

"Darcy, no," Monique said sadly, worry creeping into her voice.

"Skye, don't do this. It isn't worth it," Jeffrey pleaded, seeing the look on her face.

Skye blew out the breath she was holding, try to expel the feeling that she was about to explode and then said quietly, "You're asking for a fight, Darcy, and Jeffrey's right. A fight with you isn't worth it. Goodbye." Skye began to walk away, just barely containing her rage.

Behind her, with realization in his voice, Kade said, "Darcy, I think you're jealous."

"Jealous of what?" Skye heard Darcy scoff. "Her old shoes? Her hair? Not likely! I don't think her parents ever take care of themselves, because they obviously never taught their daughters how to!"

Skye hadn't felt this angry since two years ago, when Mrs. Tifton-Dupree commented to Jeffrey that her mom had probably run off at some point. Just like Jeffrey's mother, Darcy had gone too far.

"Darcy, cut it out! That's not fair. You have no idea—" Jeffrey was yelling now too, coming to Skye's defense. Skye was so furious thought that she barely registered it. Jane was now leaning on Scott, and Skye stalked right passed her and stuck her nose in Darcy's face.

"You can't understand a thing about my family or me. We're too different. You walk in here like you own the place, and make sure to be a real brat to me whenever you have the chance. You love to insult people, and love to brag that you're so good at this and so good at that. I can't believe I thought that, just for a second, you might be changing. I don't even know why you're here if you're just going to be rude to people! You should be at some family camp for rich people where you can all just be rude to each other!"

"This is exactly what I mean! You're so full of yourself," Darcy yelled, visibly shaking. "You think you know everything, but you don't!"

"Do I, now?" Skye asked, raising her eyebrows. "Geez, you're worse than Marissa. Atleast I—"

"Skye, that's enough," Jeffrey stepped in between the two girls. "This has got to end."

Skye knew this was wrong, knew that she was about to cross some invisible line. But her honor and her family's honor needed to be defended, and all her anger and bitterness was spilling out. She knew that her hot head was getting the best of her, but she was too far-gone to care.

Skye turned on Jeffrey. "And you. Jeffrey, I thought I could trust you. Penderwick family honor, remember? But instead you're making these kind of friends?" Skye said, betrayal creeping into her voice.

"Oh, Skye," Jane sighed quietly behind her, and her voice was sad. But her sister wasn't finished.

"So don't tell me stop, Jeffrey. Because you've done nothing about this, either," Skye said furiously, pointing an accusing finger at him.

For a moment, everything was silent. Jeffrey looked shocked and hurt; they had never fought like this before. Never. He said quietly, in an almost defeated voice, "You don't understand, Skye."

"You're right. I don't," Skye said stubbornly, and crossed her arms across her chest. Her ears were ringing, and they both knew she was asking for an argument. "Do explain."

His eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said, and stalked up to her. "You have a right to be angry, but you're being a little bit ridiculous."

"Ridiculous!" Skye scoffed.

"Yes, ridiculous! You're losing your head Skye. And over what? I've done everything I can to make this great, so what else to do want me to do?"

"You could've told me they were coming!" Skye cried, and threw her hands in the air.

"This again?" said Jeffrey incredulously.

"You haven't defended our friendship once!" Now hurt was in her own voice. "Either you can't see that _she's_ being horrible to our family, or you just won't do anything about it. Be brave and say something."

"Be brave?" said Jeffrey slowly. "Is that what you're doing? Being brave? Looks to me like you're just losing your temper again."

Nobody spoke, not even Darcy. Skye felt something falling apart and spiraling down out of her reach, irretrievable in the midst of anger and hurt and misunderstanding. Furiousness at her friend was fading and was being replaced by frustration and self-loathing even as she said; "There was a time when you stood up for what you cared about, Jeffrey. To your family even. Music over military, right?"

Jeffrey shook his head and looked at the ground. "Talk to me when you're thinking straight," he said.

"Fine," said Skye.

"I don't want to have this argument. I'm done."

"Also fine."

"Maybe it was a mistake to ask you to come here, Skye," said Jeffrey, sadness and anger in his voice as he turned, followed by Darcy, and began to walk away.

Skye flared up again. "To ask me? To ask _me_?"

Soft hands grabbed Skye's arm and began to pull Skye back toward the cottage. "Skye, come on. Let's go," Monique said softly.

Skye allowed Monique to direct her away from the field, but still tried to turn and shout, "Holy bananas, you just won't—"

"Skye, you don't want to do this." Monique's voice was strangely reasonable and calm. Slowly, Skye caught her breath. She was almost done seething by the time they reached the cottage, and when Monique sat Skye down in a kitchen chair, a wave of guilt and regret washed over her. Skye kicked her chair leg. "I just can't hold my temper, can I?"

Outside, Skye heard her dad and Iantha helping Jane into the car to take her to the hospital.

"I mess up everything," Skye said guiltily. "Maybe I really shouldn't have come."

Monique sighed and pulled out a chair across from Skye. "All right, Skye, I'm going to tell you everything . . ."

.-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-.

Rosalind moved aside another few dresses. She pulled a red dress with a full, ruffle skirt off the rack and turned to Churchie. "What do you think of this one?" she asked.

Churchie poked her head out from behind another rack of clothes. "For who?"

Rosalind smoothed down the skirt. "Well, I was thinking Jane."

Churchie nodded and examined the dress. "We might need to take it in a little bit at the waist, but otherwise it's a lovely dress. How is Jane by the way?"

Rosalind laid the dress on a dusty box behind her. "She'll be alright, thank goodness," Rosalind said. "Daddy called before I came over; he said that the doctors think it's just a sprain, but they're going to take a few x-rays just in case. I wanted to go with them to the doctor, but Daddy wanted me to look after Batty."

"And Skye?"

"I'm a little worried about her," Rosalind admitted. "She was talking to Monique and asked me to leave them alone. She looked miserable."

Churchie nodded. "Darcy came home furious and Jeffrey wasn't in the best mood either. I think they had an argument."

Rosalind sighed. "Well, I hope it doesn't last. The ball is two nights away."

"Rosalind? Can I wear this dress?" Batty appeared around the corner, lugging a long, elegant navy blue dress that was much too big for her.

Churchie chuckled and took the dress from Batty. "I don't think it's your size, sweetheart," Churchie said, and patted Batty's head.

"Although," Rosalind said slowly, and held the dress up in front of her, "It might fit Skye." It was lovely enough for the event, but not too girly for her sister. Rosalind set it on top of the red dress.

Batty tugged on Rosalind's shorts. "Well if I can't wear that one, can I wear one with animals on it? Or a yellow one?"

Rosalind glanced up at Churchie, who was smiling. Rosalind knew she absolutely adored Batty. Rosalind smoothed her youngest sister's hair down and said, "Yes to yellow if we can find it, but I don't think Mrs. Tifton has a dress with animals on it." She didn't seem much like an animal person.

Batty shrugged and held her stuffed giraffe, which she'd let Ben cleverly name Giraffe, tightly to her. "Cool. I'll go look."

"Don't get lost!" Rosalind called after her. She shook her head and told Churchie, "I can't believe we're back here again; looking for dresses for Jeffrey's birthday party. It feels so familiar, but yet so surrealistic at the same time." Surrealistic was a word her best friend Anna liked to use a lot.

"You've all grown," Churchie said.

"And changed," Rosalind added quietly.

Churchie squeezed Rosalind's arm. "Not as much as you think." Rosalind smiled at her.

They continued to search through the racks and boxes of Mrs. Tifton-Dupree's old dresses that she had abandoned and left to the loneliness of Arundel Hall's dusty attic. Occasionally, Batty would come back with ridiculous costume gowns and even a flapper dress.

After a while, Churchie gasped. "_Rosalind_."

Rosalind spun around. "What is it?" she asked, thinking of broken bones and missing sisters.

But when Churchie turned around, she wasn't holding anything horrible. Instead, across her arms lay a shimmering gold dress. Rosalind's breath was gone; the dress seemed to glow in the dark, dusty attic. Rosalind held it up. It had a V neck-line and a fitted bodice. The skirt and sleeves seemed to float, and the material was smooth and shimmery.

"It's perfect," Rosalind breathed. She held the dress against her and twirled.

"You'll look beautiful," Churchie gushed. Rosalind took one last long look at the dress, and then put it carefully on top of Skye's.

"Batty?" Rosalind called. "Have you found anything?"

"Yes!" Batty's voice was small, as if it came from far away. "I really like this one."

Rosalind rolled her eyes, but a smile crept on to her lips anyway. "You liked the other ones too, Batty."

"I meant to say," said Batty as she came around the corner, "that I think _you'll_ like this one." In Batty's arm lay a yellow sundress. Churchie took it from Batty and held it up.

"Oh, Batty, it's precious!" Rosalind said. With a bow that tied at the waist in the back, the dress was bright and adorable. _Just like Batty_, Rosalind thought.

Their mother would have loved it.

* * *

**So. Waddaya think?**

**Keep your eyes open for an update. I didn't exactly see all this happening, but it all just kind of flowed. :) Sorry for any errors or rough spots; I'm still an amateur :)**

**Questions? Comments? I would love your feedback! P.S. FanArt is appreciated.**

**P.P.S. It blows my mind that I have over 80 reviews on this story. You can't imagine how much it means to me. :)**

**Rock on, readers.**

**xxShastafirexx**


	11. Chapter 11

**CAN YOU BELIEVE ITS BEEN A YEAR SINCE I STARTED THIS STORY? To me that's crazy. ****I'm so glad ya'll have stuck with the Penderwicks and I. :) So here I am guys; sorry this has taken so long. I'm not dead I swear. It has been so busy around here, and I have wanted to perfect the plot so it'll be something you enjoy and remember and is worth reading, something that keeps you guessing...but here I am now and here's this chapter! You will learn a lot...**

**Again I just want to say that your reviews are so motivational and I take each and every review into account and sometimes I even mold the suggestions into my story. I'm also so glad you appreciate my decisions and my plot and like my story! I MEAN THAT IS INCREDIBLE TO ME! I FREAKED WHEN I SAW THAT I GOT A HUNDRED REVIEWS! AND THEN A HUNDRED AND TEN! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! I CAN EVEN SPEAK I AM SO EXCITED. THIS IS AWESOME. **

**TOGETHER WE ARE MAKING A NAME FOR THE PENDERWICK FANDOM.**

**individual thanks and comments coming soon. ya'll are the best. READ ON READERS.**

**Disclaimer, since we haven't had one in a while: I do not own the Penderwicks, Jeffrey, Arundel, or Hound. I do own my own characters and plot and good looking soccer players like Jacques Leroy and some singers and actors (to understand, read this chappie) :)**

* * *

"Can I say it this time?" Batty asked anxiously, excited to be out of bed at an hour like this without her parent's permission. She clutched Funty and Giraffe to her chest. This was fun.

Skye started to respond that no, she couldn't, but Rosalind interrupted her and said that of course she could if Batty knew what to say.

Rosalind would always be the oldest, however, so she was the one who began the meeting. "MOPS come to order."

"Second the motion," Skye said, but was looking out the window distractedly.

"Third." Jane bent one of her sheep-pajama-panted legs in front of her, and extended the other one—the one with the boot—to the side.

"Fourth it!" Batty squirmed with excitement. "And fifth for Hound." Skye, for once, didn't tell her that Hound's fifth didn't count, and instead just sighed in exasperation. Hound wagged his tail and knocked over a stack of books.

Batty cleared her throat importantly as the sisters stacked their fits on top of one another's. "All here swear to keep secret what is said here, even—even . . ." She looked to Rosalind for help.

"—from Daddy and Iantha," Rosalind finished kindly, "unless you think someone might do something truly bad."

"Right. That."

Together, with a power that only belongs to things ancient and sacred and treasured, the four sisters chanted, "This I swear by the Penderwick Family Honor."

"Jane, _why_ are you smiling?" Rosy asked.

Jane's smile broadened. "I just love doing that."

Rosy resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and asked instead, "So, Skye, why are we here?" She didn't want to push her sister too much, but everyone—including Hound—was curious as to what had gone on that day. After the soccer game, Rosalind had seen Skye and Monique talking in the kitchen, and then Monique had left and Skye had holed herself up in her room doing who-knows-what until dinner, where she hardly spoke—very unlike Skye, who always had an opinion about everything. Now it was nearly midnight, and Skye had summoned her sisters to a MOPS meeting.

Skye turned from the window and looked down at her fingers. "After the game, Monique explained a lot to me."

"About . . . her ranch? Her school? The real rules of soccer? What?" Jane prompted.

"About Darcy."

Rosalind's spine stiffened. Had this girl hurt Skye? Was that why she was so withdrawn today? If she had hurt her in any way Rosalind would—

Skye blew out a breath. "There is a lot we didn't know. _I_ didn't know." And she began her story.

_ Monique shifted in her chair and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I come from a small town in Texas, where we live on a ranch and my parents run a hardware store," she said. "I chose to study acting and vocals at a boarding school instead of attending the local high school, and my parents supported my decision whole-heartedly. When I first met Darcy, I saw her just as you see her right now—rich, snotty, conceited, proud."_

_ Skye's head didn't move from her hands._

_ Monique continued, "She pushed me away. She worked hard and was great in everything she did, but she didn't have any real friends. I saw that; I figured she was like the colts back at home. If they don't know you, and you approach them, they'll run. But if you let them come to you, they start to trust you. And I was right; Darcy slowly began to talk to me and I started putting her life story together piece by piece."_

_ Monique paused. "Do you know who Robbie Chaston is?"_

_ Here, Skye raised her head and slowly nodded. "My friend Genevieve has mentioned him a few times. He's an actor right?"_

_ Monique nodded. "A good one too. Well, quite a few years ago he married an ex-dancer and singer named Faith McCarthy. They had one little girl together. Can you guess her name?"_

_ Realization dawned on Skye's face. "Darcy," she whispered._

_ Monique gave a small smile, but it was sad and bitter. "When Darcy was seven, her parents divorced and continued their careers separately. The news was everywhere; her family was on the cover of every tabloid, and they became even more famous." Monique's laugh was humorless. _

"_Darcy split time between her dad's mansion in L.A. and her mom's house in Florida. But her parents wallowed in their hatred so much that, though they said they loved her and signed her up for everything she asked them to and bought her everything she wanted, they didn't pay much attention to her. She finally became tired of constantly moving back and forth and applied to Wellborn-Hughes. She got in and studies everything from art history to violin and plays every sport she can get her hands on, but she doesn't go anywhere near to the music or acting classes. She still doesn't want to associate herself with her parents and their past at all."_

_ Skye only stared. This was not at all what she had expected. _

_ "Once she opened up to me, we became close. She made more friends—Scott, Kade, and Harold to name a few—, we played soccer together, and we went to each other's concerts and plays. We did not talk about her family. The following summer she came down for a few weeks, and I could tell she was angry and worn out after going to premier after premier with her father and concert after concert with her mother. Her wall was not down yet—not by a long shot."_

_ Monique took a deep breath. "And then that fall two years ago, we met Jeffrey. He was in Darcy's orchestra class, and he played on the boy's soccer team. We became friends, and eventually he told us about his home life—Mrs. Tifton, Mr. Dupree, and his dad running away. He was the only one Darcy could relate to in that way—that feeling of being left behind. For the first time, someone really understood her in the same ways I did. For the first time, her walls really began to come down. We all love each other. We're her backbone—Jeffrey and I. Her safety net."_

_ Skye felt hollow. How could Monique be so kind and so understanding, where as Skye hadn't suspected a thing about Darcy's past? And yet—_

_ "But, Monique, what does this have to do with me?"_

_ Monique smiled that same, sad smile. "Don't you see? You're the perfect family—"_

_ Skye remembered the comment Darcy made about her mother and stiffened. "She doesn't know anything about my family."_

_ Monique pressed on. "Yes, but what she _does _know is that you make Jeffrey happy. Darcy has learned from watching Jeffrey that it's possible to love and live brightly even after what she's gone through. She's drawn to him. Not really in a romantic way," Monique added quickly, seeing the question on Skye's face, and something in Skye's chest lightened. "More in a friend way. And here you come along, sassy and happy with loving sisters and a perfect family. When your family arrived, Darcy and I saw Jeffrey glow in a way we hadn't before. You, too, had a history and had secrets and shared hobbies and made him happy. It scares her. You seem whole and beautiful and free. Darcy feels trapped and broken and jealous."_

_ There was a strange buzzing in Skye's ears. "Jealous?" she heard herself echo. _

_ Monique made a gesture of disbelief. "Yes, jealous! Why else do you think she's being horrible to you? I may be her friend, Skye, but I'm not blind. She's afraid she's going to lose Jeffrey to you and he's not going to want to come back."_

_ Skye shook her head. "She's crazy if she thinks that's what I'm trying to do."_

_ "_I_ know that. _You_ know that. _She _doesn't. That's why you need to tell her."_

_ Skye looked at Monique in disbelief. "What?"_

_ "Just tell her about your family and your mom and your time at Arundel."_

_ Skye was silent, and then, her voice hard, said, "You make it sound so easy. I'm sorry about her past and that she is jealous, but that isn't a good reason to be mean and say horrible things about my family."_

_ Monique leaned forward in her chair. "I know, but Skye, think! This is the only way this is going to end. If not for her sake, then for your own."_

_ Skye looked at Monique like she was crazy. "For mine?"_

_ "Yes, for yours." Monique leaned back in her chair again. "This is your chance to apologize and get this off your back"—Skye opened her mouth to protest, but Monique just pressed on—"and her chance to apologize and explain herself to you, even if she doesn't realize she needs to. You won't have this—this wave of hate following you all the time, and you can spend the rest of your time here at Arundel not worrying about that and just having fun like you meant to." _

_ Skye didn't say a word; this was a lot to process, and she really was feeling quite odd. Monique's voice softened. "This hasn't been easy on Jeffrey either, you know. I can tell; he's stuck in between telling you the truth so you don't hate him and keeping this a secret for Darcy."_

_ Silence. _

_ Then Monique's voice dropped nearly to a whisper when she said to Skye, "I just _know_ he didn't mean to say those things to you today. He may be patient and kind but he has a limit and a temper too. Just like you—and don't say you don't have one, because you already admitted that you do."_

_ Skye snorted. As Jane would say, her temper was the queen of all tempers. This was a lot to take in, and her mind was moving in all different directions. She really needed to go for a run and clear her head before it spun off her shoulders, but her body was so tired from the soccer game that her legs felt like jelly. What she did do was sigh and, after passing her hands over her sweaty face, look Monique square in the eye. Skye was never one to "beat around the bush," as her father would say. She always charged things head on._

_ Apparently so did Monique, because a real smile crept on to her lips as she raised her chin and said, "Ready to plan?"_

Skye's story was followed by a shocked silence. Then everyone started talking at once. Only when Rosalind called for order did Hound stop running around the room and everyone calmed down.

"Well, we all know what you need to do, Skye," Rosalind said with confidence.

"Which is . . .?" Skye's expression was full of dread.

"You need to go talk to Jeffrey and Darcy."

Skye groaned. "Why me? Why not you?"

"Can I go for you, Skye? Please please pleeeease?" Batty begged.

"I'll do it!" Jane volunteered eagerly. She was already composing an apology speech in her head: _My fellow misguided frenemy Darcy and my dear friend Jeffrey, I come to you on behalf of my sister—_

"Holy Bananas. Neither one of them," Skye protested. "Who knows what they'll start spouting."

"Skye," Rosalind scolded.

"What?" Skye said innocently. "Do this one thing for me, Rosy. I'll give you my allowance for a month."

"Skye," she said again.

"Two months?"

"No." While the offer was tempting, Rosalind decided that she was old enough to know what was right and wrong. "Skye, this is something that has to come from you."

Skye cringed. "Alone?"

"Well . . . yes. I think it should be just you. But we're here for you if you need us, don't forget that." She didn't want to send her sister into the darkness without a lifeline.

"I never get to have any fun," Batty grumbled.

"Conquer your fears and your pride, brave sister!" said Jane.

Skye scowled, "I'm not proud. And what fears?"

"Then going alone should be no problem."

Skye looked to the ceiling and threw her hands in the air. "Save me! I am surrounded by idiots!"

"You forgot to add 'O powerful gods of the Aztecs' to the end of that." Jane noted thoughtfully. "If you really want them to here you—"

"Point proven," Skye mumbled.

"Hey!" Jane exclaimed, and smacked her sister on the knee. Skye made a comment that if Jane weren't hurt Skye would tackle her, and then Jane retorted that Skye wouldn't be able to overcome her even if she tried. Accepting the challenge, Skye lunged—but was knocked over by Hound. He pinned her down and slobbered all over her face. Then Jane was laughing and Batty was trying to drag Hound away from Skye and Skye was shouting for the dumb dog to get off of her and Rosalind was trying to shush them all so the racket wouldn't wake up their parents.

This all resulted in a huge tickle war, and when it was over, they lay on the floor, exhausted but at peace.

Rosalind, breathing hard, gazed up the ceiling fan. From her right, heard Skye gasp out, "So . . . let's say . . . that I agreed . . . to go to this . . . apology party . . . and say what . . . Monique and I planned . . . When would I go?"

Rosalind turned her head. Skye look determined but also a little nervous—an emotion she had only ever shown openly to Rosalind. Seeing her sisters so happy and so loving and so brave, Rosalind felt a surge of pride. This was one of the great joys of being the oldest sister, she realized—seeing your siblings grow and appreciate and really _live_.

This was what Rosy was thinking. But all she said was:

"Tomorrow night."

* * *

**So what do you think? Questions? Keep those reviews coming! Give me feedback! Message me things of what you might want to see! I appreciate everything you say and all the constructive stuff! Apologies for any mistakes.**

**I'm just so excited you like my work! Individual notes coming soon!**

**Jeffrey, Darcy, Monique, and the Penderwicks couldn't have gotten this far without you. I hope they are as real to you as they are to me.**

**rock on **

**xxShastafirexx**


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